ASUU BSU STRIKE: How Retrograde Management, Obstacle ASUU and Puppet State Govt are wasting students time; How to end the strike and who should be blamed
The retrograde body called the Management of Benue State University, headed by Prof. Tor Lorapuu , obstacle called ASUU, Chaired by Dr. Kwaghfan Tarnongo and the puppet called the State Govt, headed by Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia , are dancing nakedly without considering the wasting of students time, despite the sluggish time wasted academic calendar; who should be blamed? And roles students need to play for the strike to be call-off
FIRST CLASS GISTS gathered that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benue State University chapter, declared indefinite strike on February 1st, 2024 due to their demands, series of meetings have been held with State Executive Council, Benue House of Assembly, BSU Governing Council, ASUU Congress, but the outcome proved abortive
BELOW ARE ASUU BSU DENANDS
•implementation and payment of accrued arrears of the backlog of promotions
•payment of salary arrears due to all members
•shortfall in salaries of staff of the College of Health Sciences
•payment of Earned Academic Allowances, EAA.
•Payment of sundry allowances for self-sustaining programmes such as GST, PG, SIWES and SANDWICH)
•non-implementation of health insurance scheme
On the 15th of February, the BSU ASUU Strike Monitoring Committee through it strike Bulletin published that, the progress of management is only on payment of two months EAA to few lecturers
MANAGEMENT MEETING WITH STUDENTS AT CHS AUDITORIUM ON THE 19TH OF FEBRUARY
According to the news gathered by FIRST CLASS GISTS, BSU Vice Chancellor, Prof Tor Lorapuu introduced the management team that were in attendance, which are the University Dean of Students Affairs , Librarian, Bursar, Registrar, DVC Admin, DVC Academic and the Provost of College of Health Sciences.
The Vice Chancellor ordered the DVC Academic, Prof Simon Ubwa to present all the payment they have made so far, which he did .The President of Linguistic Department raised a fundamental observation when Student Union President, Comrade Nelson was not called in the meeting and asked if he has been suspended, impeached or expelled where The Vice Chancellor told him that our mission should be specific to ASUU strike not SU President issues and told the SU EXCOS to speak unbehalf of the students, but the Student Unions Ag President urges the Vice Chancellor to allow the students entirely to react, the Vice Chancellor accepted his suggestion.
Students reacted to several issues, such as what’s the progress so far partaining to ASUU strike?what were the management, Governing Council and state government actions towards ending the strike? what are the agreement being implemented? what is the fate of students? when will school be shut down? When will School hostels be closed?
The Vice Chancellor answered all the questions and urges the Students to be patient, that the state government is working on it, that he has made three month payment from User charges, which the university depend on for finance, but ASUU insisted that they have not seeing it, that they insisted on payment of EAR of 2009-2015, which even federal government haven’t paid, that they also insisted on payment of session that was merged together and that of COVID 19 months, The VC presented some documents of the payment they have paid and claim he assert that he paid more than the previous regime, despite the academic calendar instability, that he paid 250 million out of 2.9billions for pensions, 251million paid for Sundry expenses out of 257millions, GST , EPS payment e t.c
The SU Acting President, Comr Ogbaji Solomonmary also talked about the feedback from the ASUU EXCOS, where they requested for the proof of payment of the acclaimed payment by the management, but to proof for the students, the Vice Chancellor asked some Non Academic staff present at the meeting to confirm ASUU lies, which they make it clear and agreed that they received the payment, mostly after a week of their salaries, and VC challenges ASUU that they should present their pay slip, which they don’t want to present
The Vice Chancellor urges the Students to be patient till tomorrow and not to embark on any form of violence in campus and also warn the students not to involve any form of criminalities off campus, that some students names have reached him, which they will work on soon, he assured the students that if school will be shutdown or not, it will be known tomorrow morning 20th of February, Tuesday, when he receive response from State Governor through the Secretary of State Government he also call on media to invite him and ASUU chairman to know the liar
ASUU CHAIRMAN AND THE PRESS
ASUU BSU Chairman accused the management of being paid seventy million Naira (#70,000,000.00) by the State Government every month,, which the management is not paying to them but the Vice Chancellor has not yet debunked the news, the liar Is not yet know
HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY MEETING OUTCOME AND ASUU CONGRESS OUTCOME
Thr report of the meeting which ASUU Chairman promised to take to the congress, does not yield positively, because management did not meet up with 3/7 of their demands, this lead to ASUU extending the strike for one month more according to their resolution on the 29th of February
MANAGEMENT EXTENSION OF SEMESTER BREAK
Extension of semester break by management from 21st of February till further notice because of the ongoing ASUU strike was also declared by the Vice Chancellor
STATE GOVERNMENT BLAMES
The government should actively investigate on the management of fund generated by the university and also set up committee that will make enquires about the acclaimed salaries payment made by the management and also how the management is spending the user charges paid by the students, where the management is found in mismanagement its funds, proper measure should be taken , State Government have the power to hire and fire, if the management deserve that, then the Vice Chancellor should be fired immediately and EFCC should set in
Benue State Governor should sack Tor Lorapuu, if he is not capable, the needs to do what is right to safe students academic careers should be pave way for.
MANAGEMENT BLAMES
Where is the seven hundred millions , state government keep giving management every month for staffs payment, why is it difficult for management to pay lecturers from User charges, despite the high intake of students admitted.
management should stop using merging of session and COVID-19 as an excuse for not paying lecturers salaries
ASUU SHOULD NOT BLAMED
According to information gathered by first class Gists, This is a strike that was postponed last year, because Benue State Governor was just swore-in. ASUU BSU has been on the fore front of lobbying for most of the infrastructural facilities found in the school, state government is very poor in providing adequate infrastructural facilities, it’s very hard to see building constructed by State Government, but that of TETFUND are found in many places in the school, ASUU BSU do award Schorlarship which BSU Management don’t make provisions for, why will they now be suffering ASUU? no payment to cater for their family needs, how can an hungry man come to school and lecture students without incentives? How will they also pay their children tuition fee? where will they get their transport fare to come to school?
STUDENTS BLAMES
According to BSU Vice Chancellor, Tor Lorapuu “Our students are the most peaceful students in Nigeria” , this peaceful word is used by the VC to cajole the students not to embark on protest, despite the fact that students are the ones that are losing as a result of elongating their time in school
At this stage, if BSU Students Union, can’t protest, students leaders should call on BSU Alumni, NANS National Body, NANS Zone D , NUBESS and others reputable Aluta Comrades of Benue State, to storm Benue State University and Government House, since it’s the tradition of BSU in locking their students when they make attempt to protest, but they can’t lock up external bodies like NANS National Body and others, the tyrannical actions of BSU management can also be seen with what they did with the SU president, no one knows maybe he has been suspended, expelled or impeached till today, the Union remain silent over it, silent kills future, it’s time to speak out, enough is enough, BSU students cannot continue like this
ROLES OF STUDENTS TO END THE STRIKE
It’s high time the students accuse the state Governor, Hyacinth Alia of acting like puppet by not taking necessary actions to end the strike, as the visitor of the University, all blames should be on him, because If the management are not acting the playscript written by him, he would have sacked the Vice Chancellor just as Buhari did for 12 vice Chancellor of federal universities on February 13, 2016, Plateau State University, VC was also sacked by Plateau Governor on 6th of February 2024
So why is so difficult for Governor Alia to sack Prof Tor Lorapuu or he should make available the funds ASUU requested for, if truly the Governor is students lover
Benue State University Students should collaborate with others National Students Union Body to stage a protest against the ASUU strike, because if they do it alone, it has been the Customs and tradition of BSU management to tag such protest as that of cultist ranting, which they may later arrest or expel leaders of the protest
The university Alumni association should also arise against this strike, because Benue State University is losing its values in the academic milieu, they need to support the students for the protest
If the strike can’t be call-off immediately, this shows that Benue Governor is a failure, Vice Chancellor is a poor Manager, Benue State University Students are not peaceful but they don’t know how to fight for their rights.
