THE University of Jos authority has announced the indefinite closure of the institution following the escalation of the students’ protest which started on Monday but heightened Tuesday with the burning of tyres on major roads leading to the institution.

The students were protesting against the institution’s introduction of certain stringent measures which do not go down well with the students. To avoid anarchy and lawlessness, the institution decided yesterday to close the university indefinitely ordering the students to vacate the campus and hostels by 2.00pm yesterday which was complied with by the students when The Guardian visited both campuses of the university.

The peaceful demonstration which was brought under control on Monday further escalated Tuesday morning when students mobilized themselves and locked the Bauchi Road Highways and set tyres on fire.

Because of the untoward development, the university through the Registrar of the institution, Mr. Jili Dandam, directed that “the university be closed down until further notice. All students are hereby directed to vacate their hostels on or before 2.00pm today, Tuesday, 25th November, 2014.”

The students were scheduled to commence their second semester examination on Monday, 24th November when they targeted their demonstration to coincide with that day.

Students were seen hurriedly packing out of their hostels in compliance with the university’s directive.

A student of Special Education and Rehabilitation Science of the institution who is a blind student, Obadiah Gotom, said the vice chancellor has turned a deaf ear to the plight of students.

According to him, “the vice chancellor is not even considering us, the physically challenged. We need assistance. We protested in 2012 when he increased our school fees. We forwarded our complaints to him but he said he did not have time to sit with us, describing us as a ‘bunch of radicals.’ We are aware that the protest is going to affect our examinations but we the final year students are ready to make the sacrifice.”

          Many of the lecturers who spoke with The Guardian Tuesday said that they are in support of the students’ action because “some of us have about two or three children in the university. How does the authority want us to cope with the situation? We wholly support the students in this respect. The university should rescind its arbitrary decision.”

On Monday, the University of Jos Students shut down the institution yesterday because of the arbitrary charges of what they described as unwarranted and uncalled for. The students who gathered on the university main campus as early as 6am yesterday said that they were protesting peacefully because of unwarranted charges apart from the normal tuition fees.

          The President of the Student Union Government (SUG) of the institution, Nnok Nbuu Abel, while addressing the students at the main campus of the institution, said that their protest was borne out of the outcome of the students congress held same days ago.

          Abel told the gathering students that they wrote a letter to the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Hayward Babale Mafuyai, about the impending protest which the university set aside without any response leaving the SUG with no alternative than to stage Monday’s peaceful protest.

          All major roads leading or coming to the institution were blocked as travellers to the northern part of the country and those coming through Jos were stranded for the hours the protest lasted.

          Besides, the students targeted Monday to stage their protest as the semester examination was billed to start yesterday. The examination was therefore suspended for one week till Monday next week.

          Abel praised all the security agencies for their neutrality, adding however that it was when the angry students were surging forward towards the Commander of the Special Task Force (STF), Major – General David Enetie, that the STF solders shot three times into the air just to keep the students at bay. He added that no student was aimed at and no harm was done to any of the students.

          Abel said however, that the university authority regarded them as having been compromised and bought over by external forces.

          According to him, “the overzealous university security outfit broke into our lodge and spoiled our belongings and other property.”

          “We had sought an audience to come to a dialogue table to discuss and iron out things with the Vice Chancellor. Since our property were destroyed, we are in a hideout. We were forced to do what we did today because o frustration. What we are worried about is the N10,000 development levy, N25,000 acceptance fees for fresh students and N10,000 late registration being charged and the non – release of school buses for students during excursions.”

          But the institution has debunked allegation of upward review of charges in the university and tuition fees. The serene and calm atmosphere of the university was thrown into a chaotic situation as the students protested. They claimed that the university had not responded to their multiple requests despite several meetings with the university authority.

          But Mafuyai said that all issues raised by the students are not new, adding that the management has never closed its door for dialogue. He said that the management was really taken aback when the students took to the streets.

          Mafuyai disclosed that a seven – man committee has been constituted to look into the complaints with a view making recommendations to management for possible considerations.

Source: http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/national-news/187973-unijos-closed-indefinitely-to-avert-escalation-of-peaceful-protest

http://oyiidoma..com/2014/11/unijos-shut-indefinitely-to-avert.html?m=1

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I hope they will reverse the school fee by the time the school is re-opened.