On Thursday, students from the University of Jos in Plateau State staged a protest due to water scarcity and the absence of electricity supply in their hostels.

The students in their large numbers locked the school’s gates, chanting solidarity songs and displaying placards with different inscriptions like, ‘No light to soak Garri’ and ‘’We no get SUG” while others held empty buckets to symbolise the lack of water in the institution.

The students lamented the situation had caused them untold suffering and impacted negatively on their academic activities.

Many staff and members of the management of the university were also locked outside the school gate.

However, the Dean of Students Affairs of the University, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, confirmed the challenge of water scarcity and electricity blackout in the students’ hostels to The Punch while he blamed the situation on Jos Electricity Distribution Company over an outstanding debt.

Prof. Christopher affirmed that the problem had been resolved following an intervention by the Vice Chancellor.

“It is true that there was no water before now, but water has been supplied to the hostels. The JED severed our supply because of outstanding bills.

“The VC has intervened, and they are going to reconnect the light. As I am talking to you, water has been supplied. Light will be reconnected any moment from now, and with the light restored, we won’t have the problem of water again,” he said.