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Students Protest In Bauchi As Academic, Non-Academic Unions Shut Down Five Tertiary Institutions

All academic and non-academic activities will be shut down till further notice.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of academic and non-academic staff unions in Bauchi State on Tuesday commenced a 12-day warning strike over several issues including nonpayment of staff salaries, delayed promotion, amongst others.

The committee in a circular dated July 19, 2022 and signed by its Chairman, Abubakar Mohammed, noted that based on the warning strike, all academic and non-academic activities would be shut down across all the state-owned polytechnics and colleges of education.

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The circular was sent to the staff and students of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi; Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere; A. D. Rufa’I College of Education, Legal and General Studies, Misau; Bauchi State College of Agriculture, Bauchi and Aminu Saleh College of Education, Azare.

The circular titled ‘Notice of Total and Comprehensive Strike’ read, “Following the unfolding development in the JAC struggle to regain our members’ entitlements from the Bauchi State Government, and as widely communicated to appropriate stakeholders in the state, the JAC formally extends this notice to you. The warning strike begins Tuesday 19th to Saturday 30th July, 2022.

“Note that all academic and non-academic activities will be shut down till further notice. This includes both primary and secondary assignment, including the consultancy services, staff schools, undergraduate programmes, administrative activities and what have you.

“We urged you to maximally comply to this struggle until our demands are made insha Allah. May Allah (SWT) come to our aid.

“Thanks as the JAC anticipates your cooperation and continuous prayers for success.”

But students of Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic staged a protest against the industrial action, saying that it would be a complete disruption of their academic activities, especially their second semester examinations that were supposed to start on July 26th.

A source in the school who did not want his identity revealed told SahararReporters that the protesting students blocked the entrance of the school, demanding an immediate end to the strike to enable them complete the semester which started on March 14, this year.

According to the source, no official of the school has attended to the protesters as the Rector, Suleiman Lame, has been out of the school for the past three months since he travelled to Mecca. The Deputy Rector according to the source could not attend to the protesting students for whatever reason unknown.

The source said that operatives of the Nigerian police have barricaded the school, arrested some of the students and broke two students’ legs.

When contacted, the Bauchi State Police Public Relations Officer, Ahmad Mohammed Wakili confirmed the protest and said that he was aware that the Commissioner of Police deployed the Anti-riot squad to the school but that was not aware of the arrest or injuring the students.

Wakili, who promised to confirm the report and revert, said, “In the actual sense I cannot confirm to you since I’m there but I will get back to you, let me confirm from the people that went for the operation.

“I know that there is a protest and the Commissioner of Police directed the Area Commander to go there, and you know that protection of lives and property is the sure business of the police, and the students have the right to protest, but they should do it in a way that will not violate the rules.

“I know that the Commissioner of Police has dispatched the anti-rioters police officers there to quench the situation but I may not have the fact of what you are alleging but whenever I got the information of that, I will keep you posted.”