Resumption: Lalong assures students of safety

Gov. Simon Lalong of Plateau has assured students of the State University, Bokkos, of safety as they prepare to resume.

Lalong, who gave the assurance on Monday in Bokkos during inspection of ongoing 15 projects in the school, also promised improved infrastructure during resumption.

He said his administration was committed to control COVID-19 spread and implored the students to adhere to the safety protocols, especially with the advent of the new variant of the disease.

“Do your best to protect yourselves in the pandemic,” the governor stressed.

He said that the project was supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), and that more faculties and structures would be constructed in the school.

“Since assuming office in 2015, the rescue administration has embarked on many projects including a 13km dual carriage road in the university and 77km of street light.

“To ensure academic activities are based on solid foundation, government released N279 million which secured accreditation of 14 programmes in the institution,” he said.

Lalong said that additional new faculties of law, health sciences, agriculture and environmental sciences have been approved, adding that they will be completed before the end of his tenure.

“Government has approved the remodeling of the multipurpose hall to serve as a law auditorium. We have approved the construction of a teaching hospital in Shendam for the school,” he said.

The governor noted said the teaching hospital was sited in Shendam Local Government Area to facilitate access to quality healthcare services in rural areas, since most hospitals are in Jos metropolis.

He assured of the accreditation of three outstanding programmes of Mass Communication, Biochemistry and Geography in the first quarter of the year, and that he would do his best to ensure successful exercise.

The governor said his administration was doing its best to attract intervention in the school from Federal Government, donor agencies and other Non-Governmental Organisations.

He urged the lecturers who went on indefinite strike on Jan. 16, to call it off, following his approval of the constitution of a committee to address implementation of their minimum wage.

“The state is battling with financial burden as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Lalong regretted.

It was reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch of the state university had embarked on an indefinite strike over failure of the state government to address some issues confronting the institution.

According to the union, the government failed to constitute a governing council for the institution, leaving it without a direction and unpaid earned academic allowances of members.

Earlier in his remarks, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Yohanna Izam, commended the governor for his commitment to improve quality of education in the school.

He lauded Lalong’s effort in attracting projects for the institution, saying that the level of infrastructural development will produce conducive environment for learning.