Students at UNIJOS recently took to the streets with placards that read messages like ‘No light to soak Garri’ and ‘’We no get SUG.”
Some students carried empty buckets as a symbol of the severe water shortage on campus.
In discussions with our correspondent, students expressed their distress, emphasizing how these challenges have negatively affected their academic pursuits.
Josiah, one of the students, voiced his frustration, stating, “The school management’s indifference to our plight is concerning. We’ve been without water in the hostels for days while the ongoing power outage has left many students stranded.”
Furthermore, students criticized the dissolution of the Students Union Government, leaving them without leadership and direction.
Attempts to engage with the school management were met with disappointment as Josiah added, “The school management’s call for negotiation on our rights is unacceptable; it’s their responsibility to address our grievances.”
While the university responded by deploying security personnel to the campus to prevent any unrest, some university staff disapproved of the student protests, deeming them unnecessary.
Notably, the university’s Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, acknowledged the challenges faced by students, attributing the water scarcity and power outage to an unresolved debt with the Jos Electricity Distribution Company.
He assured that the issues have been addressed through the intervention of the Vice Chancellor, with water supply restored and plans to reconnect the electricity imminently.
This intervention intends to alleviate the current challenges faced by students and ensure a conducive academic environment on campus.