Prof. Bernard Matur, Vice Chancellor of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, has called on the academic staff of the institution to call off the ongoing strike.
Matur made the call during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria NAN.
The Institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), last Thursday embarked on an indefinite strike, citing alleged failure to honour an agreement reached with it in 2022.
Matur, while explaining the situation, said that the government had put modalities in place to foster a conducive working environment for its workers.
He promised to sustain the ongoing negotiations with the union, adding that all concerns of the lecturers would be amicably resolved “very soon”.
Matur highlighted some of the achievements in his first five months to include the expansion of faculties from four to 10, and payment of eight months salary arrears owed workers.
He revealed: ‘’We have also cleared a backlog of eleven years of academic allowances, paid promotion allowances to our staff, and also embarked on substantial infrastructural development.
“We initiated new programmes and now have Faculties of Law, Agriculture, Environmental Sciences and Health Sciences.
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“Not long ago, the National Universities Commission (NUC) granted approval for the creation of the Faculty of Education.
“Three new programmes are also set to take off in the Faculty of Sciences – Zoology, Plant Science and Biotechnology.
‘’These expansions are strategically designed to fulfil the admission requirements of both NUC and JAMB, while also addressing the immediate needs of our evolving environment”.
Matur thanked the Plateau government for its efforts toward ensuring that all academic programmes in the university had full accreditation.
He added: “The administration of Governor Caleb Mutfwang has given the University every support, including resources, to get full accreditation for all academic programmes.
”The governor also ensured the payment of backlog of salary arrears, earned allowances, promotion allowances, among others.
”Under this administration, the security of the university has also received a major boost.
”We have recruited 40 security personnel to add to the 89, while 21 local hunters were engaged by the University”.
The Vice Chancellor advised students to continue with the ongoing registration for the new session, adding that negotiations with the striking lecturers toward resolving the issues were still ongoing.
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