Plateau state varsity students barricade school over VC’s suspension

From Ado Abubakar Musa

Students of the Plateau state University, Bokkos, yesterday made good their threat to boycott examinations following the suspension of the vice-chancellor of the school, Prof. Danjuma Sheni.

Sheni was suspended by Governor Jonah Jang, over what he described as, “inappropriate conduct.”

The students, citing what they described as unnecessary and undue interference in the administration of the school, barricaded the school gate and chased away all lecturers and students reporting for work on Monday.

Led by the Students’ Union Government(SUG), the students carried placards round the university and prevented their colleagues from 100 to 300 level, who were about to start their examinations from doing so. They went from hall to hall mobilising others.

They condemned a situation where their courses had not been accredited more than eight years after the establishment of the institution and vowed to make the school ungovernable until the government stopped undue interference in the administration of the school.

The President of the SUG, Mr. Matthew Dafoum, who spoke to our correspondent, said the protest was peaceful as what the students demanded was legitimate.

He said the students were not happy at what was happening in the university and called on the authorities to expedite action on accreditation.

Also addressing newsmen at the Press Centre of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), some 400-level students of the school, expressed concern over what they described as improper staff mix, inadequate infrastructure, skill acquisition and poor funding, which has been militating against the university’s full accreditation.

The students, represented by Michael Nunkop and Alex Lutnaan, said that all necessary efforts must be made towards ensuring that the school met the standard for accreditation.