After Crippling Academic Activities, UNIJOS Lecturers Resume From Mass Leave

Lecturers at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), are expected back into the lecture halls Monday, after nearly two months on a mass leave that paralysed academic activities at the second generation university.

All 1,100 lecturers of the university proceeded on leave on the same day of May 2, after a unanimous resolution they reached at their Wednesday, March 23 congress of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Daily Trust learnt.

The university administration initially dragged on approving the annual leave, explaining that a mass leave would further delay the academic calendar of the institution rocked by too many workers’ strike. But in separate letters to the lecturers, the registrar, Danjuma Jilli-Damdam finally gave the approval, which saw the lecturers on an almost two-month long leave barely three months after they suspended a prolonged strike that delayed the completion of the 2014/2015 session by a full semester.

Monday’s resumption will commence the 2015/2016 session, which has been delayed by both the prolonged strike, and the mass leave.

Dr. Christopher Piwuna, chairman of the local chapter of ASUU, told Daily Trust at the weekend that all lecturers will resume classes Monday.

“We have completed our annual leave, and are refreshed for better performance on our duty posts as lecturers,” Dr. Piwuna said. “The aim of the leave, as encouraged by the university administration is achieved. We are refreshed to start the session.”