Seven Professors Compete for UNIJOS VC Position Amid Student Welfare Issues

Seven professors are in the race to become the next Vice-Chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in Plateau State. This comes as the current Vice-Chancellor, Tanko Ishaya, is about to finish his term.

Concerns have been raised about the university's facilities and how it treats students with disabilities. A recent investigation by PREMIUM TIMES revealed the challenges faced by students with disabilities, especially those living in the Village Hostel, which is meant for students with special needs.

The investigation showed that the hostel lacks basic features like ramps and grab rails in bathrooms. It also highlighted poor cleanliness, overgrown bushes, and uneven pathways that make it hard for wheelchair users and visually impaired students to move around.

The report pointed out that students with disabilities often need help from their peers to access lecture halls and other buildings. This raises worries about whether the university is following the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act of 2018.

The seven candidates shared their ideas for the university on Monday during a meeting organized by the university’s Advancement Office and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the ASUU secretariat on Naraguta Campus.

The candidates are Professors Ikonne Ogaji, Victor Duga, Sati Fwatshak, Anthony Dakum, Patricia Lar, Bernard Matur, and Simon Yiltok.

Each candidate presented their plans and answered questions from the audience about how they would run the university if selected.

ASUU Chairman Joseph Molwus welcomed everyone and said the meeting was meant to get stakeholders involved in the university's future.

He said, "Our distinguished keynote speakers, panellists, and co-host, the Executive Director of the Advancement Office, University of Jos; distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen; our dear comrades from ASUU and other unions; and our community leaders, I warmly welcome you to this very important event in the history of the University of Jos."

Mr Molwus praised the committee led by Okechukwu Great for organizing the event with the Advancement Office. He said, "The culmination of these efforts is what we are witnessing here today in the form of this interaction, which we consider very important."

Concerns About Student Welfare

Tanko Ishaya became Vice-Chancellor in December 2021, and his term is set to end in November 2026. During his time, the university has focused on expanding academics, developing research, and improving infrastructure.

But the issues highlighted in the PREMIUM TIMES investigation raise doubts about how well the needs of students with disabilities have been met. Students in Village Hostel face challenges with daily activities, including using the bathrooms and moving around the hostel compound. Some rely on their colleagues to get to lecture halls and other facilities.

One wheelchair user, named Monica Joseph* in the report, shared, "I crawl into the bathroom because there is no ramp or other accessibility feature for my wheelchair."

The investigation also pointed out that the university's buildings should meet the accessibility standards of the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act. The law's five-year period for public buildings to meet these standards ends in January 2024.

After the report came out, Chris Piwuna, the Dean of Student Affairs, acknowledged the problems at Village Hostel. He said the university has made efforts to improve conditions for students with disabilities. He told PREMIUM TIMES that they have repaired some hostel doors, fixed a borehole near the facility, and worked on parts of the compound affected by flooding. He added that two staff members are dedicated to helping students with disabilities.

He admitted that the hostel still needs more improvements. He said, "Nobody is arguing that the hostel is at the level that it should be. No, that’s not what I’m saying," and added that the university needs to do better.

He also said, "Reports such as yours could always put us on our toes."

However, Mr Piwuna did not mention when the hostel renovation would happen or how the university plans to install accessibility features. He did not clarify how the university has used the facility improvement fees paid by students.

The Students’ Union Government had earlier told PREMIUM TIMES that they have repeatedly contacted the university management about poor hostel conditions, like inaccessible toilets and leaking roofs.

The investigation and the dean’s comments show a need for the new administration to address the access issues and living conditions for students with disabilities.

Governance and Leadership

At Monday’s meeting, a former Vice-Chancellor of Karl Kumm University, Nanven Gambo, gave a talk on "Governance, integrity, and inclusivity: Vision, mission, academic leadership, and innovation."

He challenged the candidates to explain how they would manage the university if elected. He said, "I believe that you have contributions to make to the growth and development of the university. The University of Jos is a second-generation university, and therefore, the demands are quite heavy, very heavy."

He asked the candidates how they would use their authority to benefit the university. He said, "You are given instruments of power, instruments of authority. How do you manage that? How do you handle that to grow the university from where you have taken over to where you want it to be? I think that shows the importance of governance."

The next Vice-Chancellor will be responsible for tackling the university’s infrastructure and student welfare issues, including the accessibility problems affecting students with disabilities.