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UNIJOS VC Appeals To Lecturers To Consider Plight Of Students And Return To Classrooms

Sequel to the declaration of an indefinite sit-at-home order by the University of Jos (UNIJOS) branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Tanko Ishaya has appealed to lecturers to resume.

The VC begged the university’s lecturers to please consider the plights of students and parents and return to lecture rooms.

Naija News reports that lecturers of the institution have opted to teach students from their homes due to the financial constraints they face.

The development is a result of withheld salaries of ASUU members and recently the payment of half of October’s salary to lecturers after the union called off its eight-month-old strike barely a month ago.

Ishaya explained that the institution has put plans in place for lecturers to hold classes virtually to ensure both academic staff and students can be engaged.

Naija News reported last week that the UNIJOS chapter ASUU had declared an indefinite sit-at-home order for its members.

The UNIJOS ASUU has insisted in a statement that the order would last till the government make payment of its withheld salaries resulting from the federal government’s no work, no pay policy.

The institution’s VC remarked that “We have presented at the Senate that if for instance, the lecturers are not paid when academic activities resumed, we planned that they can continue with their academic activities virtually.

“The Senate has adopted that where academic staff find it difficult as a result of lack of payment of salaries, they can do their lectures from home using technology. And we have put in all plans concerning virtual platforms to ensure both academic staff and students can engage.

“That is my understanding of the action of the ASUU chapter of the University of Jos which is in line with what the Senate of the University has approved with respect to staying at home because of the difficulties of transporting themselves to the University.”

While he appealed to the institution’s chapter of ASUU to be compassionate with students and resume lectures, he begged the federal government to reconsider its “no work no pay policy” because the work of the academic staff goes beyond teaching in classrooms but also includes research and community service.

He advanced that “ASUU should please be considerate and compassionate with students and parents and return to the classroom.

“I appeal that it allows academic activities to go on while further negotiations with the government on payment of withheld salaries continue.

“We have asked these students to resume; it will be traumatic to ask them to return home again having spent eight months at home already.’’

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