The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Tanko Ishaya has pleaded to the institution’s lecturers on sit at home strike to of consider the plights of students, their parents and returned to lecture rooms.
This plea came on the heels of a directive by ASUU that asked lecturers at the university to stay at home pending the payment of their withheld salaries by the Federal Government.
However, the lecturers opted to teach students from home, due to the financial constraints faced by the academic staff.
The Vice-Chancellor disclosed that lecturers of the institution have not gone on strike but decided to teach students from home.
The Vice-Chancellor explained that to the best of the management’s knowledge, the academic staff decided to teach from their homes, and not that they had gone on strike.
The Vice-Chancellor further explained, “We have presented at the Senate that if for instance, the lecturers are not paid when academic activities resumed, we planned that they can continue with their academic activities virtually.
“The Senate has adopted that where academic staff finds it difficult as a result of lack of payment of salaries, they can do their lectures from home using technology. And we have put in all plans concerning virtual platforms to ensure both academic staff and students can engage.
“That is my understanding of the action of the ASUU chapter of the University of Jos which is in line with what the Senate of the University has approved concerning staying at home because of the difficulties of transporting themselves to the University.”
Professor Ishaya urged the Federal Government to reconsider its “no work no pay policy” as the work of the academic staff was beyond teaching in classrooms but included research and community services which he believed that the lecturers engaged in even during the prolonged strike.
The VC further appealed to the varsity chapter of ASUU to be compassionate with students and resume lectures.
Ishaya said that the lecturers needed to return to lecture theatres to prevent university education from total collapse.
He pleaded with the union to consider the plight of students and parents and sheath their sword for the growth of education in the country.