Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has appealed to Kano State governor, Abba Kabiru Yusuf, to rescue Yusuf Maitama Sule University from a looming crisis.
In a statement signed yesterday by ASUU’s chairperson, Surajo Sulaiman, the union listed three central issues in their struggle including improving the condition of service of its members, revitalising and accelerating the development of the university through sustainable funding and enhancing and protecting the university autonomy and academic freedom.
ASUU said it is engaging the media and the public, with a view to informing them of the looming crisis and the devastating condition the university is put in as a result of government neglect, following a series of submissions to the state government on its members’ demand and strategic denial of its request for an audience.
Sulaiman said, “The union calls for urgent reconstitution of the University Governing Council and uses this medium to draw the Visitor’s attention to the strategic importance, by Law, of University Governing Council and to the extent to which its absence undermines the University administration.
“On the condition of service; the branch demands immediate payment of the balances of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and the Consequential Adjustment arrears. It also requests for immediate domestication of the newly approved Consolidated Universities Academic Salary Structure II award by the Federal Government effective from 1st January, 2023 and payment of arrears and N35,000 provisional wage award approved by the federal government.
“Similarly, on university funding; furthermore, it requests the government to; expedite action towards completion of on-going projects by the state government, supplement TETFund funding for academic staff training and consider immediate stoppage of automatic deduction of 25 percent from the University Internally Generated Revenue (IGR). It is worth noting that registration fees are ‘service fees’.
“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 and implores the Visitor to improve on the University 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,” he said.
