Students at the University of Jos, Plateau State, staged a protest on Thursday, locking the institution’s gates to voice grievances over water scarcity and a lack of electricity supply to their hostels.
The protest, marked by placards bearing messages such as ‘No light to soak gari’ and ‘We no get SUG,’ highlighted the frustration felt by the student body. Some students carried empty buckets, symbolising the dire shortage of water within the campus premises.
Speaking anonymously, one student expressed dismay, stating, “We don’t know what the school management wants the students to do. There has been no water in the hostels for the past two or three days. Even the blackout, which has been ongoing as well, has left several students completely stranded.”
Another point of contention raised by the students was the dissolution of the Students Union Government (SUG), leaving them without leadership and direction. Despite the university management’s call for negotiation through student representatives, no volunteers stepped forward, as the previous SUG executives were dissolved in February, and a new government has yet to be established.
In response to the protest, the university swiftly deployed security personnel to prevent any potential disruption. However, the students remained resolute, insisting on staying at the gate until their concerns were addressed.
While some university staff members criticized the protest as unnecessary, others acknowledged the validity of the students’ grievances, emphasizing the importance of proper channels for addressing such issues.
Dean of Students Affairs, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, admitted to the challenges of water scarcity and power outages in the students’ hostels. He attributed the situation to outstanding debts with the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), assuring that the issues were being resolved through the intervention of the Vice Chancellor.
“It is true that there was no water before now, but water has been supplied to the hostels,” stated Prof. Piwuna. “The JED severed our supply because of outstanding bills.
The VC has intervened, and they are going to reconnect the light. As I am talking to you, water has been supplied. The light will be reconnected any moment from now, and with the light restored, we won’t have the problem of water again.”
