Plateau State University lecturers embark on indefinite strike.
The Plateau State University (PLASU) Bokkos chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has gone on strike indefinitely to press for a better working environment and welfare.
Dr. Hassan Zitta, ASUU’s chairperson, and secretary Deme Bitrus, ASUU’s secretary, said the decision to call the strike was made during ASUU’s Congress on Monday, Dec. 20.
They claim that the Plateau administration has failed to honor the deal it made with the union, leading to the decision to go on strike.
The ongoing difficulties, according to the union, revolve around increased insecurity around the university and non-payment of earned allowances
The reasons, the union said were paucity of accommodation for both students and staff and the need for government to construct more lectures halls, among others.
“At our congress held on Monday, Dec. 20, members reviewed the level of implementation of Plateau State Government/ASUU-PLASU agreement.
The congress, the statement said, resolved that the state government having signed an agreement with the Union on March 2, 2021, has not kept faith with the document. :
It said the government had failed to “address security concerns by deploying the services of armed Civil Defence Corps”.
The Plateau government, according to ASUU, has also failed to install a functional police outpost in the university host community, as well as settle the national minimum wage arrears within the first quarter of 2021.
The government was also accused of failing to release N70 million as part of the first tranche of earned academic allowance arrears, according to the report.
According to ASUU, the second installment of N72 million due in October 2021 was long overdue at the time of its congress.
It also accused the government of failing to pay mainstreamed earned academic allowances for the 2019/2020 academic year, among other things.
