The Yobe State University’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been thrown into controversy over who are the rightful registrar and the bursar of the institution and called on the state government and the university administration to intervene.
ASUU chairman, Dr Ahmed Ibrahim, made the plea during a press conference in Damaturu, the Yobe state capital.
The union condemned the “illegal” occupation of the registrar’s office by one Dr Kalli Gazali whom it accused of continuous signing of university documents and attending meetings even after his (Gazali’s) retirement in September 2023.
The union also frowned at the vacant position of the institution’s bursar since the incumbent was appointed permanent secretary by the Yobe State government.
He called for the appointment of a new bursar based on the already conducted interview which followed the prescribed procedures.
According to him, some of the issues raised were transportation challenges for students, delays in payment of various staff allowances, unlawful appointments, neglect of part-time and casual workers, promotion arrears, inadequate student accommodation, among others.
Dr Ibrahim said that the removal of fuel subsidy had led to a significant increase in transportation costs to and from the university, thereby causing hardship for students, staff and parents.
“ASUU demanded the immediate release of these funds, along with other unpaid allowances, including postgraduate facilitation allowance, consultancy teaching allowance, and withheld responsibility allowances,” he said.
The union commended the recent implementation of promotions, but emphasised the need to settle the accumulated payments for promotion arrears promptly and therefore demanded the immediate payment of N77.5 million promotion arrears for its members from 2018 to 2023.
