No fewer than 70 lecturers have resigned from the University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, since the outbreak of Boko Haram insurgency in the North- East. Al
No fewer than 70 lecturers have resigned from the University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, since the outbreak of Boko Haram insurgency in the North- East. Also, while five lecturers have been killed, three were said to have been held by the insurgents during the recent attack on oil workers during an oil exploration trip in Barno Yasu area of the Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State near the Lake Chad region.
The chairman, UNIMAID chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Dr. Dani Mamman, called on the Federal Government and the university authorities to put in place adequate security.
Mamman said although closing down the university was the initial thought, it was resisted by the management. ASUU added that as a union, it believed that if its demands made to the Federal Government were fulfilled, the idea of closure would not be an option.
Mamman said, “About 70 lecturers left, about five died and three are held hostage by Boko Haram. The admission figure of students has been dropping since insurgency started in 2012. We don’t know what will happen to the admission of students this year.
“The exit of some lecturers has affected research and learning because some are specialists in their fields. Usually, such exodus affects accreditation of some programmes and courses. We requested the government to increase security personnel, security gadgets and construction of the 23.7 km perimeter fence. In the interim, the state governor has started building a 10.3 km perimeter fence.”
But Ibrahim Njodi, vice-chancellor of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), has said the search for oil in the Lake Chad basin will continue despite the attacks. Meanwhile, ASUU has said that negotiations are said to be ongoing with the Federal Government to free UNIMAID lecturers abducted by Boko Haram terrorists.
The ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi said the union had been assured of “ongoing efforts” by the government, noting that he could not divulge further details for security reasons.
“The government has asked us to give them some time. Our members are working with them. We have also given them our suggestions, and they have told us to give them time. We are monitoring the efforts. The government did not give us the full details. But you recall that the service chiefs were also asked to relocate to Borno. So efforts are on.”
