By Ajifa Solomon and Bitiyong Chat Miracle
The gates of the University of Jos have been barred with entrance denied to both staff and students as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) embark on a one week warning strike.
Starting from today, the 18th of March 2024, the services of campus security, the directorate of physical planning which regulates electricity and water as well as all other nonacademic services will be placed on hold. The overarching goal of this is to ‘ground’ the university until the demands of the unions are met.
In a statement by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU, the shutdown of services will continue for one week “without concession.”
SSANU and NASU arrived at this decision at a meeting held at Akure over the weekend to deliberate on the non-payment of workers’ salary during the 2022 strike. The action was to protest the underfunding of the universities. However, former President, Muhammadu Buhari employed the ‘no work, no pay’ policy which led to the withholding of salaries during the four-month long strike.
Meanwhile, both SSANU and NASU have been pressing the government to remit the withheld salaries but failed to arrive at a concession hence the strike.
Lectures have currently been placed on a hold while departments now are deliberating on virtual classes.
While uncertainties loom regarding the security of students in the Hostel, a source from the division said,
“We are hoping the government and those concerned will do something quick particularly in the aspect of security in the Hostel because that is of great concern.”
Currently, the gates of the Naraguta and Bauchi Road campuses have been locked with minimal movement within the university.
This is a developing story …
