The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Plateau State University (PLASU) chapter has carried out a protest within the university campus over the failure of the federal government to sign and implement
the 2009 agreement with ASUU on the Nimi Briggs Committee report, and other issues affecting public universities.
The chairman of the union, Dr Monday Hassan Zitta, and the secretary, Dr Lomka Iliya Kopdiya, said at a press conference at the university campus that the protest was in compliance with the directive of the National Executive Council of the Union.
Dr. Zitta stated that the aim was to call on the federal government to honour all agreements reached with the union, adding that the federal government reached an agreement with ASUU in 2009 on critical issues regarding conditions of service, funding, and university autonomy, but lamented that successive governments have deliberately refused to honour the agreement, which would be in the best interest of the masses.
He mentioned that politicians during their campaigns, particularly President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, promised that the issues would be resolved and that there would be no more strikes.
“However, it has been over a year now, and they have demonstrated a clear unwillingness to take any action to solve these problems.”
The chairman added that the compounding economic hardship in the country has made it so difficult that many of the highly ranked lecturers, who should be present to mentor the upcoming ones, are leaving the country in search of better opportunities.
He added that part of the protest also included the non-implementation of the 20-25-35% wage award for Plateau University staff in the state and the exclusion of university workers in the payment of palliatives, as well as the absence of a governing council in their state university and other unaddressed matters.
Dr. Zitta emphasised that Plateau State University is a public university that has benefited tremendously from the past struggles of the union and called on the federal and state governments to take seriously the responsibility of ensuring quality university education.
In the course of the protest, the academic staff union members of PLASU marched from the venue of their meeting to the main gate of the university, singing solidarity songs with Barners.
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