From GODWIN AGIA, Jalingo
Students of the Taraba State University Jalingo on Monday staged a protest rally over non-commencement of their semester examinations which were billed to commence same day.
They blocked Jalingo-Gembu and Jalingo Bali roads respectively thereby causing traffic gridlock.
The protesting students made bonfires with used tyres around the school and on the major roads linking the state capital.
They expressed indignation over the refusal of the university’s lecturers to commence examinations for the semester.
Our correspondent reports that the protest became violent when the students started pelting the lecturers with stones around the university premises..
The students’ leader at the university, Salisu Waziri said the demonstration is a solidarity protest with lecturers on the campus who have not been paid 10 months’ salaries.
“We are supposed to start our first semester’s examinations today but on getting to the venue of the exams, we were told that the exams will not hold because our lecturers have been owed salaries for 10 months,” he said.
Waziri called on the school authorities and the state government to pay the emoluments of the lecturers for examinations to hold.
“These lecturers have children, they have families to take care of. Some of our students are almost 30 years and the more they continue to stay in school, they cannot go for NYSC which has an age limit.
“This strike is a solidarity strike with our lecturers. We call on the government and the school management to ensure our lecturers are paid their 10 months’ salaries so that we can be taught and our exams take place,” he said.
Recall that members of staff of the institution had last Friday staged their own protest round the institution over non-payment of their salaries.
They had threatened to stop examinations from holding in the Institution except their salaries were paid.
Prof. Sunday Bako, the Vice Chancellor of the university had told the protesting staff that the university management and the state government were working hard to meet the staff demands.
The rumpus at the Taraba State University, Jalingo is happening four months after the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU ended its eight-month strike.
