No return to class without concrete agreement, say defiant Plateau varsity ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos’ Chapter, has said that they would not return to lecture halls without any concrete Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the state Government.

Dr Betse Pamson, the ASUU Chairman, made the pronouncement, on Wednesday, in an interview with our reporter in Bokkos.

“We are surprised to learn of a statement issued by the Vice Chancellor of our esteemed University, PLASU, that the institution will soon resume academic activities.

“As far as we as ASUU is concerned, we are not aware of such preparation or arrangement, since most of our demands are yet to be met by the management and the state Government.

“In fact, Tuesday’s, Feb. 9 meeting we had with the Government’s 7-Man Committee, which was the 6th, didn’t end up well since there wasn’t anything new from our previous positions.

“We won’t return to class without any concrete Memorandum of Agreement (MOA). If the management and government want to reopen the University, they should bring something tangible to the table, ” the chairman declared.

Pamson, explained: “For the fact that some understandings like the fencing of the University, building of more hostels and increase in the institution’s monthly subvention from N96m to N140m, have been reached, it’s not enough for us to call off the strike.

He said that the main bone of contention was the Earned Academic Allowance of the lecturers totaling N215m, which the government agreed to pay only N55m now, then in two other tranches of N79.5m to be paid in Feb 2022 and another N79.5m in Feb. 2023.

According to him, “we have taken this offer of government to our Congress, but it was vehemently rejected, yet the governor is still said to be pleading with us to take the N55m which is just 25 per cent of the arrears.”

“The truth is that our members agreed to take 50 pet cent of the arrears and that anything short of that they won’t take.

“All the same, we shall consult with our Congress again, as well as get the input of the ASUU National Union before meeting with the 7-Man committee, being led by the Head of Service,” Pamson stated.

It was reported that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Yohana Izam, had announced that the institution would soon reopen for academic activities.

Izam said that as part of preparations for the commencement of the 2020/21 academic session, Management of the University had concluded the renovation of its students hostels.

He attributed the action to what he called progress already made between ASUU and the 7 man Committee recently constituted by the state government.