Drama Looms As ASUU Orders UNIJOS Lecturers To Boycott Postgraduate Programmes

The PUNCH reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities has ordered its members at the University of Jos, Plateau State, to withdraw all forms of participation in all Postgraduate programmes in the institution.

It was learnt that the order followed the alleged refusal of the University management to honour a Memorandum of Understanding it reached with members of ASUU on the sharing formula for non-NUC funded programmes run by the institution.

The Chairman of the ASUU branch of the University, Dr Lazarus Maigoro told The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday that a copy of a letter directing its members not to participate in any postgraduate programmes of the institution had been sent to the Pro-chancellor of the University and chairman of Council, Prof. Attahiru Jega.

The letter dated June 7, 2021, and copied to the Vice-Chancellor of the University, all principal officers, Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Head of Departments, was obtained by The PUNCH in Jos on Wednesday.

Part of the letter which was signed by the ASUU Chairman read, “Our union wishes to inform you that our National Executive Council, at its meeting on Thursday 27th May 2021 held at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, approved the request of our branch to withdraw all services from PG programmes from 20th June 2021.

“The above approval was granted due to the refusal of the University administration to implement the Council approved 2016 PG sharing formula to take care of payments for teaching PG courses, and release faculty and departmental shares which is a product of the 2016 Memorandum of Understanding our union signed with the University administration.

“Our members will not participate in teaching and supervision (Thesis, dissertations, examinations, seminars, defence of any kind whether at PG school, faculties, departments, etc.)

“All members are hereby directed to comply as sanctions shall apply to any violator. Our monitoring committee shall keep strict vigil to ensure compliance towards the attainment of the resolution of this critical welfare concerning our members.”

Efforts to get the management of the University of Jos to react to the order by ASUU proved abortive as several calls put across to the mobile phone of the Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Abdullahi Abdullahi, returned unanswered.

A text message sent to his mobile phone by our correspondent was yet to be replied to as of the time of filing this report.