THE ACADEMIC Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University chapter, has appealed to the state government to urgently address its concerns.
The branch’s Chairman, Abubakar Abdullah, made the appeal during a press engagement in Kaduna on Thursday.
Abdullah said the union remained ready to negotiate with the government to resolve the issues affecting the university and avert industrial action.
He said ASUU did not desire a strike, stressing that shutting down the university would negatively affect students, lecturers and the institution.
“We are ready to move whenever the government calls us for engagement and negotiation,” he said.
The chairman said the union had made several efforts to resolve the issues amicably, even after timelines contained in previous agreements elapsed.
He said the two-week ultimatum issued by the union remained valid, describing it as a national directive which the chapter could not disregard.
Abdullah appealed to the government to use the remaining period to engage the union and resolve the outstanding issues.
He said ASUU had identified several challenges affecting KASU, including staff welfare, funding, academic freedom and university autonomy.
According to him, improving the conditions of service remains critical to retaining competent lecturers and strengthening the university.
He said the number of lecturers who left KASU was an approximation covering a period of three to four years.
Abdullah explained that staff moved to institutions offering more favourable conditions, adding that the trend should concern stakeholders.
“We are not here merely to criticise the government, but to bring problems to its attention for correction,” he said.
The chairman commended the Kaduna State Government for addressing some longstanding issues affecting KASU and other tertiary institutions.
He said the government had addressed 60 per cent of KASU’s 2017 withheld salaries, hazard allowance and withheld salaries from May to September 2022.
Abdullah also commended the government for reviewing tuition fees following ASUU’s opposition to an earlier increase.
He said the union had always supported policies that strengthened education while opposing measures capable of undermining access to education.
The chairman acknowledged government interventions, including about N100 million for accreditation and N50 million for staff welfare.
He, however, said more interventions were needed to address the systemic challenges confronting the university.
Abdullah described KASU as one of Kaduna’s major legacies, urging the government to give the institution the necessary support to thrive.
“KASU is one of the best legacies you would have in Kaduna State,” he said.
He said physical infrastructure could deteriorate over time, but a strong university could continue serving generations for centuries.
The chairman urged the government to implement the new Federal Government ASUU agreement, describing it as the union’s top priority.
He said the agreement covered staff welfare, university administration and funding, adding that its implementation would benefit the entire university system.
Abdullah stressed that while ASUU was prioritising the agreement, all its outstanding demands remained important.
He reiterated the union’s readiness to engage the government at any time, describing dialogue as the best path toward 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,” Abdullah said.
He appealed to the government to invite the union for negotiations before the expiration of the ultimatum, to prevent another industrial dispute. (NAN)
