Drama As Soldiers Deployed on Nigerian Campus As Lecturers Attempt to Disrupt Exam
- Students at the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger state, met the unexpected after the management of the institution decided to deploy soldiers to examination halls
- The institution took this action after aggrieved lecturers declared an industrial action over 18 months of unpaid allowances
- In a twist, the polytechnic’s information officer, Mallam Abubakar Dzukogi, clarified the development
Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.
The crisis rocking the Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger state, took a fresh dimension on Monday, September 15, as soldiers were deployed to examination halls following threats by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP).
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Soldiers deployed following threats by striking lecturers
The union had on September 15 declared an indefinite strike over 18 months of unpaid allowances.
As reported by Daily Trust on Tuesday, September 16, the union, led by Comrade Kolo Joshua, directed members to boycott the semester examinations and allegedly warned against supervision of the exercise.
A staff member of the polytechnic, confirmed the development to Daily Trust.
He disclosed that soldiers were stationed to provide security for students and academic staff willing to conduct the examinations.
“The polytechnic started examinations today, and while some staff volunteered to participate, the union had threatened to stop the process. That was why management brought in soldiers to protect students and staff,” the source said.
Source: Facebook
This was after a circular issued on September 13, by the institution’s Registrar, Hussaini Muhammad Enagi, announcing the suspension of ASUP’s activities on campus, citing security concerns.
In a swift reaction to the development, Joshua advised union members to vacate the campus “for the safety of lives and property.”
In a major twist, the polytechnic’s Information Officer, Mallam Abubakar Dzukogi, denied that soldiers were used to supervise the examination.
He insisted that only some directors of the institution participated in the exercise after lecturers withdrew.
“Nigerian professors earn gardener’s 3-hour pay”
Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s university system is teetering on the brink of collapse, according to former Obafemi Awolowo University vice-chancellor, Prof Wande Abimbola.
He condemned the federal government’s neglect and described lecturers’ salaries as “scandalous”, likening them to what a gardener earns in the US.
Speaking on Boiling Point Arena, Abimbola called for an urgent bailout and a commission of inquiry to rescue the nation’s academic institutions.
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University female student, lecturer clash in exam hall
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that a video making the rounds on social media has shown a violent altercation that occurred in an examination hall involving a female student and a lecturer.
The Niger Delta University lecturer allegedly caught the student engaging in examination malpractice and confiscated her phone.
Mixed reactions have trailed the incident, with some people faulting the academic for his handling of the situation.
Source: Legit.ng
