Students React As Taraba Varsity Lecturers Embark On Strike

Lecturers of the Taraba State University have proceeded on another indefinite strike.

The call by the institution’s Academic Staff of Union of Universities, ASUU, for its members to desert classrooms on Tuesday has infuriated most of the students had resumed the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic session on Monday, March 1.

A 400-level student of the institution, whose original name has been changed to Agassi Landon to shield him from victimisation, spoke to Arewa Voice.

Landon’s fear stems from the fact that he would be clocking 30 this year and any further strike action by the lecturers might affect his chances of participating in the compulsory national service.

He said: “This resort to another round of strike by our lecturers is disturbing me sincerely.

“As you know we are still in the 2019/2020 session and just on Monday, we resumed for the second semester. Originally, if not for the pandemic, I was supposed to graduate in August 2020, but because of school closure and the national ASUU strike which our institution joined, we resumed in December. My projection, according to the new school calendar, is that by May this year, I would have graduated and still be eligible for NYSC.

“I am appealing to authorities of the school and the lecturers to please call off the strike because people like me might be affected.”

A 200-level student of the institution who spoke on condition of anonymity said she was unhappy with the development.

According to her: “For about two years now we have constantly had delays due to strikes and school closure because of the pandemic. I ought to have finished my part-two last year, but this is March 2021 and I am still in 200 level. I am pleading that they consider us because we are the ones to suffer this the most.”

While the students are pleading with their lecturers to consider them, the lecturers are also appealing to the students and their parents to understand them. The institution’s ASUU chairman, Dr. Samuel Shikaa, while speaking to Arewa Voice, says the union sympathises with the students. “It was because of this sympathy that our members allowed the students to write their first semester exams for some weeks.

“We have tried on our part to ensure that we maintain harmony as much as possible. All we are saying to the students is that they are part of us and we are part of them because there would be no students if there are no lecturers and vice versa. We want them to understand us and also pressurise their parents to speak out because it is ridiculous if their lecturers don’t have job security.”