Can't believe what I've been seeing on social media since Monday about our own UNIJOS. I pray for normalcy to return speedily. Only a person who didn't experience strikes and forceful shutdowns due to crisis will rejoice on hearing 'The school has be shutdown till further notice'.
Before we could get registered as the new intakes for the 2006/2007, it was mid 2007 already... Reason: 6months ASUU strike. I remember writing first semester 2006 exams in December 2007 and as if that was not enough, there came the November 28, 2008 religious crisis which opened gates for many more crises after. A combination of more crises and more strikes automatically led to the loss of a complete academic session (2009/2010)
There were times we had to be glued to TV screens because we had to wait for the new exam dates to be announced on national TV as the exams had been interrupted by crisis which sent everyone to there various homes. I will not forget to add that our darling Maths department had given
lots of people some additional semesters and even sessions of study
right from their 2nd years in the school.
I remember when the first increment in school fees was made from N7,600 to N17,600 in the year 2010. Students had planned a peaceful protest but because of a divided SUG house the VP had to pay with a suspension while students were made to pay the fees with the excuse that the N10,000 development levy would be taken off the following session. Students were also given the chance to split the development Levy into 2 halves and pay the 2nd half in 2nd semester.
We were made to undergo a compulsory screening exercise before which u must present your school fees receipt. The receipt was also placed as a compulsory permit into exam halls after the screening.
The next session, fees didn't drop to back to N7,600 but N12,200. As promised, the N10,000 development levy was taken off but not completely... and a close comparison will show you where part of the money was squeezed into.
Amidst all the stress, we prayed through and pulled through by the grace of God.
Somehow the fees were pushed up again and the student couldn't hold it anymore. There was a peaceful protest from what I heard on Monday, which the VC reacted to, resulting to the postponement of their exams which were to commence two days ago by one week. Students were assured that their complains would be looked into. Following this, a comment on air saying that the development levy had been there before he became VC and his not being aware of what the current fees were(according to some students on the UNIJOS FB page) provoked the students who went back to the streets again yesterday.
The protests seem to have gone sour as it has been gathered that there was open fire on the students at the main campus and Naraguta hostel. School has also been shut down till further notice.
Here is the announcement as placed on the UNIJOS site Yesterday morning
At this point, all we can do is pray, for the Staff to consider the plight of the students, for the wounded students to recover quickly, for the aggrieved students to refrain from taking violent steps that will cause more harm and for normalcy to return to UNIJOS. Say a word of prayer no matter how short. Let's call on God with one voice for the sake of the students being delayed and the ones to come.
The king's heart is like a stream of water directed by the LORD; he guides it wherever he pleases(Proverbs 21:1) God knows exactly how to handle the VC and the protesting students as well. All we need is normalcy and justice for all parties involved. God bless UNIJOS, God bless J-Town, God bless the Plateau and God Bless Nigeria
