Strike hits varsities hard, students battle filth, water, power problems

The strike by non-academic unions in public universities has taken its toll on the institutions as they battle filth and struggle to keep services such as electricity and water supplies functional.

The PUNCH correspondents, who visited the universities on Monday, reported that although teaching was going on, the strike by non-teaching staff had thrown up various problems in the institutions.

For example, while refuse has piled up at male and female hostels of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, students of the University of Jos are battling with stoppage of water and electricity supplies.

Their colleagues at the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus confided in The PUNCH that they contributed N500 per room to pay cleaners they brought from outside to clean their hostels.

Recall that the non-academic unions on February 5 began a nationwide strike over non-payment of their minimum wage arrears, rejection of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System and opposition to the Federal Government’s sharing formula for earned allowances, which gave the Academic Staff Union of Universities N30bn.

Refuse piles up at UNICAL hostels, toilets, bathrooms filthy

The PUNCH correspondent, who visited the University of Calabar’s hostels noticed that toilets, bathrooms and surroundings were dirty.

On Monday, the veranda of Hall 4, which is a male hostel also known as Malabo, and the surroundings of Hall 6, which is a female hostel, were not clean as cleaners had shunned work since the strike started.

At the male hostel, a 100-level Computer Science student, who spoke on condition of anonymity, stated, “Since the strike began, our hostel toilet and the one at e-library have not been cleaned.”

A 400-level Banking and Finance student, who also resides at Hall 4, complained about the dirty toilets and bathrooms.

A 200-level Education/Chemistry student said, “Everywhere is dirty as you can see. The cleaners have not been coming to work because of the strike.”

The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Effiong Eyo, said, “The students’ sanitation committees in hostels have been activated. They are in charge of cleaning the hostels for now. Management through the Dean of Students Affairs has provided materials for cleaning to the various hostels. The exercise is being moderated by the office of the Dean of Students Affairs. This will continue till the strike is called off.”

We defecate in the bush at night due to lack of water – UNIJOS students

At the University of Jos, it was learnt that apart from water scarcity at Naraguta, Abuja and the Village hostels, all the campuses had been without electricity since the strike began.

When one of our correspondents visited the Blocks A and B of the Naraguta hostel on Monday, students lamented the difficult situation they were going through as a result of the strike.

Some of the students, who were seen with buckets of water, were returning from a nearby secondary school opposite the hostel where they had gone to fetch water.

A 300-level English Literature student among them, who declined to give his name, said, “This (water scarcity) has been the situation since we resumed. We also don’t have electricity. Every day, we go outside to beg for water. We cannot use the hostel toilets because the whole place is in a mess and we have to wait till night to do that thing (defecate) in the nearby bush. If you go to Abuja and Village hostels, the situation is the same.”

The Students Union Government president of the university, Biringmiap Peter, said he no longer slept in the hostel due pressure from students.

“There are lots of challenges to be addressed. Students even accuse me of covering up for the management which is not true”, he said

Some lecturers lamented that the strike had affected the teaching of science courses.

“You can’t teach some subjects without experiments and the lab attendants who should be available with the necessary materials have locked their offices. So, the situation is really frustrating, “ one of them lamented

The University Deputy Registrar, Information and Publications, Abdullahi Abdullahi, when contacted declined to comment on the issues describing them as “union matters.”

He said, “I cannot comment on the strike because the issues concern the unions and not the university.”

We contribute N500 per room to clean our hostel – UNN students

At the Enugu Campus of the University of Nigeria, some students, who spoke to one of our correspondents decried the filthy state of the hostels.

Some of them said they paid cleaners to clean their hostels.

A student, Oforkansi Gabriel, said the situation in the hostels was unbearable.

According to him, the student leader in the hostels brought cleaners from outside and students contributed money to pay them.

He stated, “Our own governor (student leader) has tried because he went out of his comfort zone to bring cleaners, pay them for the job but we all contribute money.

“Without that, I don’t think anybody can stay in this hostel because the situation is quite unbearable.”

“The people doing the cleaning are external cleaners the students pay. We pay N500 per room. You count the number of the rooms in the hostels and multiple it by the amount.”

Another student, Ogechi Ani, said, “We pay cleaners to help us clean the hostels. The strike is not affecting the students badly. We are attending our classes and we are still doing what we want to do. The lecture halls are open for lectures.”

Also, the Director of Transport, Students Union Government, UNEC, Comrade Chukwu Obaji, said “Since the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (and Non-Academic Staff Union went on strike normal academic activities have been going on smoothly.

“Although some classes are locked, lecturers do find a way to conduct lectures for the students. The strike has not affected the academic calendar of the school because as it stands now I am a law student and I will be starting exam next week.”

The Director of Public Relations, Okwun Omeaku, told one of our correspondents that academic activities were going on smoothly without any hindrance.

UNIPORT postpones matriculation, students’ registration hindered

At the University of Port Harcourt, it was gathered that the institution’s matriculation had been postponed because of the strike.

A senior worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “A situation where one of the union is feeling superior to the other is one of the issues in contention. No union can function without the other.

“For example, our matriculation has been shifted because it is not the lecturers who give gowns to the students, record students’ details and give them matriculation number.

“Because those things are not in place, the university management decided to shift it (matriculation) because they (non-academic unions) are not here to do them and you cannot go and bring somebody from outside to do the job they are supposed to do.

“They (union leaders) went to the health centre and those who were there were all chased out. So, it’s terrible. Even in the administrative block, there is no light

Also, a lecturer in the university, who confided in The PUNCH, said the strike was affecting academic staff, adding that there was no electricity in his office.

“I say this because all those who power generator, buy diesel are all non-academic staff. So you can see how serious the situation is,” he said.

A student of the university, who identified himself as Oluchi, said cleaners had not been coming to work, making the university environment dirty.

Ex-students can’t access transcripts at FUTA

At the Federal University of Technology, Akure, many offices were locked on Monday. It was learnt few officials who came to work were members of the senior staff who were on essential duties.

A student in the School of Management Technology, of the university, who simply identified himself as Adewale, said the strike had its effect on the students, especially the former students.

He said, “For instance, those who want to get their transcripts and those who have one issue or the other to settle have not been attended to due to the strike. There is nobody to attend to them due to the strike.

It was also observed that the lecture rooms and premises of the school were clean.

This, an official, who confided in The PUNCH, said was because the cleaning of the campus had been contracted out and was not handled by the non-academic staff of the university.

At the University of Ibadan, the main gate was bereft of the usual hustle and bustle. Few people trickled into the university through the small gate meant for pedestrians while the big gate for vehicles was locked.

The security men were not on hand at the pedestrian gate to enforce compliance with the COVID-19 protocols of usage of face masks.

At the car park, just at the entrance of the school gate, there was an unusual lull as taxi drivers and tricycle riders were not engaged in rush hour to pick students to lecture halls.

The Director of Public Communication of UI, Mr. Olatunji Oladejo, when contacted said the university would begin a new academic session next Monday.

Water scarcity hits ATBU, students rely on well

At the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Bauchi State, students lamented the strike had affected them negatively.

A 300-level female student in the Agricultural Department, who gave her name as Habibat, said that the strike had halted the online registration of students since the portal had been shut down for over one week.

She lamented the scarcity of water in the school hostel, saying the only available source was a well in the school.

According to her, there is always a long queue of students at the well every morning.

She stated, “I waited for almost an hour before I could get some water from the well this morning. At times, we just do ablution to avoid turning up late for lectures because of the long queue.’’

Another 200-level student of Mechanical Engineering Department who identified herself as Becky Thomas, said there was always darkness in the school hostels every night since the strike started.

SSANU stops power supply to OAU Senate Building, threatens total darkness

SSANU at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Monday gave the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Eyitope Ogunmodede, 24 hours to pay the hazard allowance of members from the earned allowance released to the university by the Federal Government.

The SSANU OAU branch chairman, Ademola Oketunde, in a chat with one of our correspondents, also said power supply to the Senate Building of the institution was stopped, as a result of the ongoing industrial action.

Oketunde said members operating the generating set supply Senate Building were members of the association and had joined the ongoing strike.

He also said power supply to faculties in the institution was not tampered with yet, because the strike had not been total.

Oketunde said, “Those managing the power generating set to the Senate Building are members of my union. They have joined the strike. We have our national strike and this local issue with the management that may further compound the situation.

“It is not yet total strike. Once we commence comprehensive strike, there will be total darkness. We are discussing with the VC. We believe he will do what is right by using the Earned Allowance released to the university to pay our hazard allowance. Unless that is done, I can’t predict what will happen before the end of this week.”

When contacted, OAU Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olanrewaju, said he was not aware of the demand for hazard allowance by SSANU and NASU members.

“I am not aware. The ongoing strike is targeted at the Federal Government but if the unions are now saying OAU management is the target, then I am not aware of their demand.” Olanrewaju said.

At the University of Lagos, Akoka, Lagos, union leaders on Monday ensured that their members complied with the strike order.

When one of our correspondents visited the campus, the unions had also locked down the Centre for Information Technology System.

UNILAG, NASU Chairman, Mr Kehinde Ajibade told The PUNCH that the UNILAG Health Centre was allowed to operate so that their members who might fall sick would have access to healthcare service.

https://punchng.com/strike-hits-varsities-hard-students-battle-filth-water-power-problems/

On one hand, I feel for the SUG president. But there’s much to be desired on his part. I don’t blame those who accuse them of being used by the management...that is usually the case. The SUG as a body (NANS) is supposed to be a strong pressure group pursuing the interests of students and indeed youths in the country. What we have however found over the years is that NANS is a political tool in the hands of the school management, state government (state owned unis) the federal government and of course the highest paying politicians.

At a time like this, the SUG ought to have spoken up. At least let’s know your stand. Make demands and back it up by actions.

To the students, organize yourselves, clean your hostels(though mostly impossible without water) clean your classes too (afterall na una dirty the place). Where all of these is not possible, pressure the SUG declare a suspension of academic activities until school becomes habitable. Until all warring parties have been settled and normalcy has returned to the campuses.


Here is my 5cents. Will be expecting 3 cents in change.

This Country Na Wa O

This is wrong. The federal government should quickly engage the unions before things get out of hand. We are in the middle of a pandemic!! This is the last thing we should hear at this time.

OK

Can you imagine this nonsense? our leaders have failed us

This song was sang when 1 pounds =1naira and every words still happening as if it was sang this year

If you believe say naija fit better,you are part of our problem

Are things getting worse generally or
Things are getting better.

Officialhorlah:
Strike hits varsities hard, students battle filth, water, power problems



https://punchng.com/strike-hits-varsities-hard-students-battle-filth-water-power-problems/

If you have been in Nigeria all your life or for atlest 20 years now and you travel outside and still failed there. You should be Killed once you return back here empty handed.

NIGERIA itself is a Training Center. It will equipe you with all tools you need to survive anywhere you go. Unless you don't want to learn

I blame buhari

OK o

The problem is greed. NASU, ASUU and the Nigerian Federal government are just a bunch of hyper greedy entities who's interests are fixated on their purses alone.

This country should dissolve or be restructured.

Northern leaders don't care about western education, and Buhari is no exception... That is why he won't care if universities go on strike for three years... He won't bat an eyelash... They love the illiteracy rampant in the north because it's a tool the ruling class use to have an edge over the population.... And they're trying to bring that stinking illiteracy to the south.

Nigeria should be restructured o... I'm no longer comfortable sharing a country with terrorist and violent people.... We will find a way to deal with the corrupt fools in the south because that's our problem.

Thank God I've passed that level

Na wa oo OP

U no fit summarize ur epistle for us

And by the time they return, AASU will be ready to go again.


Make we kuku forget about university education in Nigeria

Guys we need to leave this country

This suffering is much ��‍♂️��‍♂️

The university system is not all about lecturing but many other important aspects that enhances a conducive teaching and learning. The Govt should answer the non teaching as quickly as possible

God help this country

Naija we country

Iffu get chance make you go private school, all dis public universities ehnnnn

No be nigeria...mtcheeew

Wisejohnson47:
Can you imagine this nonsense? our leaders have failed us

No the leaders never fails us but we the followers who allowed them to be rolling us like dice and we keep silent