The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Kaduna State University, KASU, chapter, has appealed to the Kaduna State Government to urgently address outstanding issues affecting the institution, saying it remains ready for negotiations to prevent industrial action.
The Chairman of the union’s KASU chapter, Abubakar Abdullah, made the appeal during a press engagement in Kaduna on Thursday, saying the union did not want the university to shut down as industrial action would negatively affect students, lecturers and the institution.
He, however, said the two-week ultimatum issued by ASUU remained valid, describing it as a national directive that the KASU chapter could not disregard. “We are ready to move whenever the government calls us for engagement and negotiation,” he said.
The chairman urged the Kaduna Government to use the remaining period of the ultimatum to engage the union and resolve the outstanding issues.
According to him, ASUU had made several efforts to resolve the concerns amicably, even after the expiration of timelines contained in previous agreements.
He identified staff welfare, funding, academic freedom and university autonomy among the major challenges affecting KASU.
Abdullah said improving the conditions of service was essential to retaining qualified lecturers and strengthening the university’s academic standards.
He also expressed concern over the number of lecturers who had left the institution over the past three to four years, saying many moved to universities offering better working conditions.
The ASUU chairman said the development should concern all stakeholders, given the impact of staff shortages on the quality and sustainability of university education.
“We are not here merely to criticize the government, but to bring problems to its attention for correction,” he said.
Abdullah, however, commended the Kaduna State Government for addressing some longstanding issues affecting KASU and other tertiary institutions in the state.
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He said the government had addressed about 60 per cent of KASU’s 2017 withheld salaries, hazard allowance and withheld salaries covering May to September 2022.
He also commended the government for reviewing tuition fees following the union’s opposition to an earlier increase.
According to him, ASUU supports policies that strengthen the education sector but will continue to oppose measures capable of limiting access to education.
The chairman acknowledged other government interventions, including about N100 million for accreditation and N50 million for staff welfare.
He, however, maintained that additional interventions were necessary to address the systemic challenges confronting the university.
Abdullah described KASU as one of Kaduna State’s major legacies and urged the government to provide the institution with the resources and support required for sustainable development. “KASU is one of the best legacies you would have in Kaduna State,” he said.
He noted that while physical infrastructure could deteriorate over time, a strong university could continue to serve generations for many years.
The chairman further urged the government to implement the new Federal Government-ASUU agreement, describing it as the union’s top priority.
He said the agreement addressed issues relating to staff welfare, university administration and funding, adding that its implementation would benefit the entire university system.
Abdullah stressed that although ASUU was prioritizing the implementation of the new agreement, all outstanding demands remained important to the KASU chapter.
He reiterated the union’s willingness to engage with the government at any time, describing dialogue as the best approach to resolving the dispute. “Even if it is 3 a.m., we will trek wherever we are to engage and have solutions to the problems at hand,” he said.
Abdullah therefore appealed to the Kaduna State Government to invite the union for negotiations before the expiration of the ultimatum, saying timely dialogue would help prevent another industrial dispute.
NAN
