Concerns have arisen among the faculty members of Taraba State University (TSU) in Jalingo following the sudden deaths of three of their colleagues, including a professor, a PhD holder, and a lecturer, within a span of 48 hours.
THE Truth gathered that the former head of the Department of Chemical Sciences, Professor Akporido Samuel, had collapsed and passed away in his office on Thursday.
Dr. Kiliobas Sha’a, the former head of the Department of Biological Sciences, died early yesterday morning, coinciding with the death of Ibrahim Saleh Bali, a lecturer in the Department of Educational Foundations.
Leadership quoted sources to have disclosed that while Professor Samuel collapsed in his office, Dr Sha’a succumbed to high blood pressure at home during the night, and Mr Bali passed away at the Federal Medical Centre in Jalingo after a prolonged illness.
A family member revealed that Bali had sold his possessions to cover his medical expenses before being transported back to his village by university officials, where he ultimately died.
Faculty members expressed their apprehension regarding the circumstances surrounding their colleagues’ deaths, highlighting the financial struggles and hardships they face, which they fear could similarly affect them.
“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 of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Taraba State University, Dr. Mbave Joshua, expressed his concerns regarding the working conditions of his fellow educators during a conversation with our correspondent.
He highlighted that the lecturers at the institution are facing significant challenges due to insufficient financial support.
At the time of this report, the director of Information at Taraba State University, Mallam Sanusi Sa’ad, was unavailable for comment regarding the reported deaths of the lecturers, as he did not answer his phone.
