Plateau State University, Bokkos, has expressed gratitude to the government for donating a 36-seater bus to alleviate the transportation difficulties its staff and students face.
The university received the new bus on January 10, mere hours after requesting assistance from the authorities. Governor Caleb Mutfwang emphasized that the prompt response reflects the government’s commitment to collaborative governance.
The 17 local government council chairmen, led by the State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Ephraim Usman, officially presented the bus to the university management at the old government house in Jos on January 10. The donation, made through a joint effort by the local government councils, followed the university’s appeal to the Commissioner and representatives of the 17 councils.
Acting Vice Chancellor Prof. Shedrack Best highlighted that most staff and students live 40 miles away in Jos due to accommodation shortages, resulting in daily transportation challenges.
“This has implications for service delivery in the university, as staff commute every day from Jos to Bokkos,” Prof. Best stated.
Governor Mutfwang commended the collaborative effort of the local governments and stressed the importance of synergy in governance.
“The states and local governments should prioritize efficiency over autonomy, as we need collaboration and synergy,” Mutfwang said. He also underscored the significance of supporting the university’s development. “PLASU needs to be facilitated in every way to gain its rightful place among universities in Nigeria,” he added.
Prof. Best thanked the governor and the local governments for addressing the concerns of staff and students. He also reiterated the university’s challenges, noting that over 95% of its workforce commutes from Jos due to safety concerns following the December 2023 crisis.
“We have relied heavily on vehicular movement for staff to get to their duty posts, but this has been worsened by the crisis,” Prof. Best explained. “We hope this donation will be the first of many interventions to address our transportation needs.”
The Acting VC also urged the government to consider providing more robust buses capable of navigating the challenging road conditions to Bokkos.
“We have seen the Metropolis buses, but they have limitations in terms of the quality of roads they can travel on,” Prof. Best noted. “We urge the government to find buses that can reach Bokkos so that our staff and students can benefit from this initiative.”
Masara Kim Acting Public Relations Officer Plateau State University, Bokkos
