Breaking: Taraba Varsity Students protest goverment’s refusal to pay lecturers salaries
Emmanuel Awari – Jalingo
Activities in Jalingo the Taraba State capital come to standstill as students took over the streets to protest the lack of payment of Academic and None Academic staff of the State University.
The students in their numbers took to the streets, burning Tyres, destroying bill boards of the ruling Party in the state, the People’s Democratic Party PDP and chanting songs saying, “No Examination, No Elections in Taraba State”
“Pay our lecturers, our lecturers are dying. You must pay, no salary no peace, no Elections.
Commenting on the situation, the State Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Shokoya said that the police are on top of the situation, adding that they were able to dispas the students that barakated the Government House juction which makes the road unpassable for motorist.
Efforts to reach out to any Government official to speak on the issue, proof abortive.
Our Correspondent who monitor the situation, report that most shops in the town area under lock and key, for the fear of any eventuallity.
Recall that the Joint Action Committee
(JAC) of Non Academic Staff of University (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Taraba State University Jalingo, on Friday protested round the university premises over non payment of their salaries and hazard allowances.
The university staff in their protest latter presented to the vice Chancellor Professor Sunday Bako, the union members are demanding payment of the outstanding salary balance of March and June 2022, Payment of the outstanding responsibility and hazard allowances for September 2021, Payment of the 75% outstanding third party deductions of October 2021, Payment of the outstanding full salaries of July to December, 2022, Payment of the outstanding promotion arrears of the non academic staff, Payment of the Earned Administrative Allowances (EAA) for non-teaching staff on a ratio of 50:50 with the academic staff and the review of the usurpation of headship that are meant for the non-academic staff by the academic staff of (1), University Farm Manager, (ll) University Admission Officer (lll) Director CBT (iV) Directorf ICT (V) Directorf Sport.
Mr. Solomon Ishaya Audu the NASU Chairman and Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka the SSANU Chairman, noted during the protest that pursuant to the above and in the interest of industrial harmony, JAC of the university called on the Council and the Management to do the needtul as a matter of necessity to alleviatet the hardship of the aggrieved members.
The union however appreciated the university Council and Management for the payment of February, 2022 salary.
Meanwhile, Prof. Sunday Bako the vice Chancellor while addressing the protesting staff, assured that the university management and the government were working hard to meet the staff legitimates demands.
“We are working hard to meet your legitimates demands, I understand that for over years, it has been the students fees the university has been using to meet the staff full salaries.
“Ever since I took over as the vice Chancellor, students have not been on campus until few months ago. The usual 120 million from the government can not meet up our full salaries. I want to appeal for more patients so we can have students on campus and be able to have our full salarie – added.