Fear gripped lecturers of Taraba State University (TSU) Jalingo as three lecturers serving with the institution, a professor, PhD holder and a lecturer, died within 48 hours.
Prof. Akporido Samuel, former head of department (HoD) of the Department of Chemical Sciences, slumped and died in his office on Thursday. Dr. Kiliobas Sha’a, former HoD Biological Sciences, died in the early hours of yesterday, within the same hours as Ibrahim Saleh Bali, a lecturer with the Department of Educational Foundation.
LEADERSHIP gathered that apart from Prof. Samuel who slumped and died in his office, Dr. Sha’a died in the night in his house after struggling with high blood pressure while Mr. Bali died at FMC Jalingo after suffering from a protracted illness.
A family source told our correspondent that Bali sold his properties to pay for his hospital bill before he was conveyed to his village by the university authority where he finally passed on.
Lecturers from the university who spoke to our correspondent expressed fear of how their colleagues died after passing through financial agony and pains, stating that such death can occur to any of them since they share the same financial challenges.
“Their death is such that it reminds all of us of what we are passing through in this institution, it shows that it can happen to anybody here since we are sharing the same financial plight. We are pleading with the government and the university authority to step up and address our demands, we are passing through series of hardships,” one of the lecturers who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
The chairman, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Taraba State University chapter Dr. Mbave Joshua while speaking with our correspondent lamented the working conditions of his colleagues in the institution; he said the lecturers at the institution lacked financial backing to face their challenges.
The director of Information at Taraba State University, Mallam Sanusi Sa’ad, did not pick up his phone to confirm the death of the lecturers at the time of filing this report.
