Dakwom Makpring Longgul reports from Jos

“Our union is prepared to escalate its actions if the government fails to address our demands” Chris Piwuna

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)  held a protest rally at the Plateau  State University, Bokkos to voice their grievances and press the government to honor the 2009 agreement.

At the rally, ASUU president Comrade Piwuna addressed the crowd, emphasizing the union’s unified stance. He declared that ASUU operates as a single, indivisible entity, asserting that an issue at one institution, whether state or federal, is an issue for all, thereby highlighting the collective nature of their struggle.

Piwuna says “​The core of the union’s protest centers on long-standing demands outlined in the 2009 agreement, which includes provisions for university autonomy, academic freedom, and proper funding for public education. Comrade Piwuna expressed significant frustration with the government, noting that negotiations have been ongoing since 2017 with little progress.

To underscore the importance of their cause, he quoted Professor Babs Fanfua, saying that “if education is expensive, the government should try ignorance,” and linked the lack of educational funding to broader societal issues such as insecurity  as in the form of Banditry and unemployment.
​In a strong call to action, the ASUU president warned that the union is prepared to escalate its actions if the government fails to address their demands.
While acknowledging and commending the local branch of Plateau  State, University Bokkos for tackling specific issues, such as the  construction of a university fence, the overarching message of the protest was a national one—a unified front demanding that the government fulfill its promises to ensure a well-funded and autonomous public education system.

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ASUU : “Our union is prepared to escalate its actions”…