University of Jos pupils stage demonstration over electricity blackout, call for immediate solution

Tuesday saw students of the University of Jos take to the streets in protest, driven by a power outage in their hostels that has persisted for over a week, rendering life extremely challenging.

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The absence of basic necessities has significantly disrupted their academic pursuits and impacted their overall well-being since the start of the current academic session, according to the students.

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Felix Bala, a student who participated in the protest, voiced the grievances of his peers, stating, "Since our resumption, we have not had power in our hostels, and we were informed that the power was cut off," as he demanded the immediate reinstatement of electricity.

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Despite lodging repeated complaints with the university administration, the students expressed frustration that no tangible actions have been taken to address the issue, prompting them to warn that the protest would continue until their demands are met.

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Bala further explained that the protest was preceded by days of complaints about the lack of electricity and water, with the situation escalating the previous week when students discovered that there was no power supply or running water, and toilets and other facilities in the hostels were left unclean.

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He noted that the water supply is dependent on electricity to power the pumping machines, adding that students waited from Thursday through Monday without witnessing any improvement in the situation.

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Another student, who chose to remain anonymous, revealed that some off-campus students had appealed to the protesters to lift the blockade and allow the university authorities to address the issue, but their appeal was unsuccessful.

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As of the time of this report, attempts to contact the Students' Union Government president, Senator Younglan Talyoung, and other university officials were unsuccessful.

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Similarly, efforts to reach the Dean of Students Affairs, Prof Chris Piwunna, were also abortive.