From Gyang Bere, Jos
The Vice Chancellor of Plateau State University, Bokkos, Prof Yohana Daniel Izam, has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) in the institution to toe the path of development and suspend the ongoing industrial action.
He commended the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigeria Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists of Nigeria from the university for suspending the option of strike in appreciation of the state government’s intervention towards defraying the arrears of Earned Allowances owed unions in the university.
The vice chancellor, who disclosed this in his office, urged ASUU and SSANU to do the same in the interest of the immediate resumption of academic activities and the benefit of the state and nation.
He said that the university has secured approvals for two key interventions from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), which would see to the commencement of construction of a new Faculty of Agriculture and the execution of the second phase of “light up PLASU project,” which would result in the provision of solar streetlights to cover not less than 50 per cent of the university master plan.
He noted that the light up of hostel and academic areas is a deliberate effort to beef up security on the campus.
Prof. Izam while declaring open the opening of financial bids in respect of 2020/2021 TETFund Normal and 2021 TETFund Zonal Intervention Projects, recalled that the state government under the leadership of Governor Simon Bako Lalong had in 2019 begun the solar streetlighting project in the university which has assisted in improving security on campus.
He said the opening of the bids also sets the tone for the commencement of the Faculty of Agriculture which is also on the front burner of the University’s quest to diversify programmes thus providing qualified candidates with an array of course choices.
He commended Governor Lalong, TETFund and the Bureau for Public Procurement for assisting the management to achieve its vision of diversification at the Plateau State University.