The Joint Unions of Plateau State Owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) said it is not in support of the State Government’s planned merger of Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos with College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) Kurgwi, and has appealled to the State government not to play politics with education.

The Union in a press conference read by its Chairman Victor Dawurung in Jos on Tuesday said, “We are calling on all Plateau people to lend their voices to this unwholesome practice that may undermine educational growth on the Plateau.

The Joint Unions of Plateau State Owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) said it is not in support of the State Government’s planned merger of Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos with College of Arts, Science and Technology (CAST) Kurgwi, and has appealled to the State government not to play politics with education.

The Union in a press conference read by its Chairman Victor Dawurung in Jos on Tuesday said, “We are calling on all Plateau people to lend their voices to this unwholesome practice that may undermine educational growth on the Plateau.

Dawurung said, “The community in which the CAST Kurgwi is sited do not seem to have been carried along in the clandestine merger.

“We are aware that the Plateau State House of Assembly is already working on a bill to repeal and amend the law establishing the Plateau State University Bokkos to merge it with CAST Kurgwi.

He lamented that the laws and purpose establishing the two aforementioned institutions are different.

The Chairman noted that, the bill is yet to undergo due process of legislation, saying a public hearing should have been conducted to get inputs from stakeholders and members of the public.

Speaking on the failure of the State Government to fulfil its agreement with the Union, “The timeline between when we suspended the strike and now without resolving the issues speaks very well for the maturity and sincerity with which we respected the agreement to resume work while the issues are resolved.

“It is over one year now and we have not witness any development on our demands. We feel short-changed and undermined. He lamented further.

“This scenario will guide us in our future relationship in industrial matters and we should not be blamed for any actions we take. Dawurung warned.

“We are appealing to the Plateau State Government not to play politics with education but respect the agreement reached with us”. He stressed.

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Trouble looms as PLSG tries to merge Plateau State University and CAST Kurgwi