Activities at the National Veterinary Research Institute in VOM, Plateau State, ground to a halt this week as ongoing demonstrations successfully blocked the official handover ceremony for the facility’s new leadership. The atmosphere at the campus has remained tense since last Tuesday, culminating in a significant standoff on Thursday that saw protesters physically obstruct the institute’s main gate.
The blockade was so effective that officials arriving from Abuja specifically to oversee the transition were left with no choice but to turn back, unable to carry out the scheduled appointment of Professor Abdullahi Ahmed as the new Provost. This disruption also spilled over into the academic calendar, forcing a temporary suspension of ongoing examinations. While calm was briefly restored on Wednesday following an intervention by various community stakeholders, allowing students to resume their tests, the core of the conflict remains unresolved.
At the heart of the unrest is a demand for greater local representation. Protesters are actively campaigning for the appointment of Associate Professor Luka Pam, a member of the Berom ethnic group, which serves as the host community for the institute. Speaking on the situation, the President of the Berom Intelligentsia Forum, Barrister Weng Emmanuel Logyang, emphasized that the community feels consistently overlooked when it comes to leadership roles within federal institutions situated on their ancestral land.
According to Barrister Logyang, the Berom people have not held a single principal position across the four federal institutions established on their territory for over a century. He argued that Associate Professor Pam, who took part in the formal selection process, represents a more inclusive and equitable choice for the institution. The forum is now calling on the federal government to reconsider its decision, urging President Bola Tinubu to step in and reverse the appointment of Professor Ahmed in favor of a candidate they feel better reflects the interests of the host community.
