By Muhammad Kabir, Kano
The Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), Maitama Sule University, Kano, has raised the alarm over the state government’s neglect of academics, persistent neglect of the institution, and the continuous struggle to salvage the state-owned universities from decay.
In a press release, the union’s branch chairman, Dr. Suraj Suleiman, said, “Consequent to the branch’s series of submissions to the state government on its members’ demands and strategic denial of its request for audience with the Visitor, the branch resolves to publicly cry out for the world to know our devastating conditions.”
He added, “We are engaging the entire public with a view to informing them of a looming crisis and the wanton devastating conditions the university is put in as a result of government neglect.”
Dr. Suleiman said they focused mainly on three central issues in the ASUU struggle: improving the condition of service of its members, revitalizing and accelerating the development of the university through sustainable funding, and enhancing and protecting the university’s autonomy and academic freedom.
The union further called for the urgent reconstitution of the university’s governing council, the immediate payment of the balances of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and the Consequential Adjustment arrears, the immediate domestication of the newly approved Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure (CUASS) awarded by the federal government effective from January 1, 2023, and the payment of arrears and the N35,000 provisional wage award approved by the federal government.
On university funding, the union urged the government to expedite action towards the completion of ongoing projects, supplement TETFund funding for academic staff training, and consider the immediate stoppage of the automatic deduction of 25 percent from the university’s internally generated revenue (IGR).
“It is worth noting that registration fees are ‘service fees,'” the statement said. “The branch also observes that funding remains one of the major challenges being faced by the university since inception as budgetary appropriations for capital projects have never been fully released.”
The union implored the visitor (governor) to improve the university’s funding.
“ASUU YUMSUK is therefore calling on the Visitor to the University to, in the interest of industrial harmony, intensify efforts towards resolving the brewing issues,” the statement concluded.