By Raymond Gukas, Jos
Worried over the industrial action embarked upon by academic and senior staff of the Plateau State University, Bokkos, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Yohana Izam, has assured that the issues in contention are being sorted out.
Speaking in Jos at a Media Forum by the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Plateau state chaper, he said that there is no panic over the situation at the institution.
According to him, the state government and the management have set in motion; some mechanism to address the demands of the unions.
The unions had earlier, accused the state government of neglect and failing to honour the agreement it reached with them on welfare as well as the non-payment of hazard and other entitlements.
But Pro. Izam in response to questions, said the demands of the University workers bordered on accumulated arrears, addung that in 2018, the University under his leadership had done a lot to offset some of the demands while efforts were being made to address the remaining ones
He said, “I have not seen where any government in Nigeria has been able to liquidate all the allowances but will only do their best within the available resources.
“In Plateau State University, we are talking of about eight sessions of accumulated allowances but I can tell you that between 2018 when I came on board as VC till date, the University management with the support of the state government has been able to defray that of three sessions.
“We are also working to settle the outstanding arrears as soon as resources are available because the government has made a commitment to that effect”, he stressed.
