Tertiary students bemoan schools’ closure in Plateau

That dream, however, has turned to be an illusion because of the protracted labour crisis that has disrupted the academic calendar of all tertiary institutions in the state in the last ten months. The affected institutions are — Plateau Polytechnic (Barkin Ladi and Jos campuses); College of Education, Gindiri; College of Arts and Science, Kurgwi; […]

That dream, however, has turned to be an illusion because of the protracted labour crisis that has disrupted the academic calendar of all tertiary institutions in the state in the last ten months.

The affected institutions are — Plateau Polytechnic (Barkin Ladi and Jos campuses); College of Education, Gindiri; College of Arts and Science, Kurgwi; College of Health and Technology, Pankshin, and College of Agriculture in Langtang-North.

Activities at the Plateau State University have been suspended since 2007.

While Pam and his course mates have remained at home all this period, their counterparts in similar institutions elsewhere have finished their HND programmes and are now serving members of the NYSC.

Just when hope was raised in June that the tertiary institutions had resumed fully, things fell apart again as the feuding parties returned to the trenches.

“When I heard about the suspension of the strike, I rushed to pay for my off-campus accommodation at exorbitant costs, only to hear later that the strike had resumed again.

“It is really a very sad situation; life has indeed been on the worst side for me; I am not a graduate, yet I am not a student because I have been idling away at home in the last one year,’’ said a depressed Dalyop.

Up till now, all the state-owned tertiary institutions in Plateau have remained shut following a disagreement between government and the workers over implementation of the new salary structure for tertiary institutions.

Each side has traded blame for the protracted crises, while the agonies of the students have multiplied.

“The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) wants the government to fully implement the Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Salary Structure (CONPCESS) as obtains in most states”, Mr. Victor Dawurang, Chairman, Plateau Chapter of ASUP explained.

But just when government seemed to have agreed to pay the CONPCESS, the workers agitation shifted to the new tax regime introduced by government, which the workers termed as “draconian”.

Mr Yusuf Selchang, Chairman, Joint Unions of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI), decried the new taxation, saying that it worked against the interest of workers.

“There are allowances that are ordinarily tax-free such as research, journal, examination supervision allowances; learned society and SIWES, which are dedicated for specific purposes but are now being taxed.

“We have never evaded tax payment; we have always paid as and at when due. We are only saying ‘no’ to the new tax system, where the little we get will be collected through tax,” Selchang said.

Prof. Shedrack Best, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), tried to explain government’s position on the crisis, saying that it had conceded many grounds to the workers, who now ought to show some measure of understanding.

He said that the financial position of the state had been precarious since the recent crises on the Plateau, emphasizing that the new tax regime meant to boost the state’s income affected all workers without exception.

It would be recalled that the government had reached a compromise with the workers after their leaders met with officials of the state’s Board of Internal Revenue to resolve differences.

Following the compromise, the workers suspended their eight-month strike on June 9, with an understanding by government that members of the Joint Unions of Plateau State-owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) would be paid three months’ salaries arrears within 10 working days of the suspension of the strike.

Government was also, by the terms of the agreement, to “respond to the issue of new salary structure in three weeks after the strike suspension, to work out details of a new tax regime on or before June 22”.

Notwithstanding the mutual understanding, the strike resumed again indefinitely, following the claim by Dawurung that government breached the agreement reached over payment of the March salary.

Best, however, denied the claim, saying that “agreement implementation hiccups” were responsible for the seeming non-implementation of the agreements..

“Technical hitches were discovered from the tertiary institutions over the March salary and this, government explained to the union leaders, who insisted on being paid their salary by weekend.

“The union did not wait for Monday for the problem to be rectified but insisted that the salaries must be paid by weekend; they then slammed a notice of strike on us. ”

Best said that the committee set up by the two sides had not even submitted its report and as such, government could not respond to what it had not studied.

Head of service, Mr Moses Gwom, on his part explained that the controversy that trailed the different interpretations of the minimum wage law by Federal and state governments had delayed the submission of the committee’s report.

Gwom said emphatically that the state government would not pay the March salary unless the workers resumed work, stressing that “government doesn’t pay people in their houses”.

Best was particularly piqued at the consequences of the workers’ actions, saying that students had inevitably lost a whole academic session over the former’s actions

“The students have been patient for nine months and their patience has now been exhausted; they have lost a session and many of them have been exposed to dangers.

“Government is taking this decision to protect the students who are weak. Government is on the side of the students; you can’t continue to take salary and not work,” Best said.

Chief of Staff to Jang, Gyang Pwajok, somehow added a new twist to the problem, saying that strikes may have become attractive to the state workers since government magnanimously paid them salaries for eight months when they did not work.

In his view, the persistent strikes in the state smacked of sabotage since there could be some intervening variables from government’s opponents.

Dawurang, however, debunked such an insinuation and insisted that the workers would not relent as long as their grievances were not addressed.

“No amount of intimidation can stop us from making our legitimate demands. From March till date, we have not received any salaries. ”

The National President of ASUP, Mohammed Kabiru is not happy about failure of government to meet the workers’ demands fully and has threatened to call out all his members nationwide, in a solidarity strike with their Plateau counterparts.

“Our members have been denied salaries for months and many of them can no longer feed their families while their children are now out of school. All these are sacrifices too many.

“We fiercely oppose the new tax regime in Plateau and CONPCESS must be paid as obtains in our states of the federation.”

Meanwhile, visits to the tertiary institutions showed that they have become shadows of their old selves as offices are empty, while the premises have been taken over by reptiles and domestic animals.

Not happy with their plight, the students of the institutions, had at various times, resorted to public demonstrations to show their discontent over the prolonged strike but each of such efforts was quickly checked by security agents.

Sunday Wuyep, President, National Association of Plateau State Students (NAPSS) said that the protests by the students would continue until the feuding parties resolved their differences and the schools reopened.

“We want the workers to feel what we have felt in past eight months. Government and the lecturers appear not to be bothered about our plight and this is unfortunate”.

The Executive Director of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), Mr Steve Aluko, described the prolonged strike as having very negative effects on the stat’s educational system.

“The strike itself and the attendant students’ protests are not helping the fragile security situation in Plateau. The parties must come to a settlement to ensure the reopening of the schools”.

Parents of the students, on their part say that they are not happy about the stalemate and some among them have even threatened public protests over the continued closure of their children’s schools.

“The students are helpless and nobody is considering their plight. If government asked the lecturers to go to hell, should our children also go to hell with them?”  Mr Sylvester Yakubu, Chairman, Parents Association of Plateau asked rhetorically.

He pleaded with the government and workers to urgently find solution to their differences.

Appeal had also come from the Plateau Traditional Council, when its Chairman, Gbong Gwom Jos, Jacob Buba, asked that amicable solutions be found to the lingering crisis by both parties.

On his part, the Rector, Plateau Polytechnic, Mr Dauda Gyemang, said that the institution’s management was not happy about the strike, which had kept the students away from their studies for an academic session.

“Dialogue remains the best option and when it is adopted, the problem will be half-solved. The feuding parties should embrace dialogue so that the institutions can reopen in the interest of all.”

Some striking workers expressed sympathy with the students but insisted that they needed their welfare to be well taken care of, so as to be able to cater for their students better.

“We are not happy with the closure of the institutions because it is not in the interest of the Plateau people; government should take advantage of our open doors to discuss realistically,” Dawurung said.

“Governor Jonah Jang is doing everything possible to have the students back at school; government is continuing its engagement with stakeholders to find an amicable solution to the strike,” Mr Nanle Dashen, the state’s new Commissioner for Education said.

No doubt, the continued closure of the institutions is having negative consequences for everyone, especially the students and it is imperative that all the parties should compromise on issues, to ensure a lasting solution. (NANFeatures)