ASUU decries decay in Kano varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), YUSUF MAITAMA SULE University Kano (YUMSUK), has expressed concern over the decayed infrastructure at the university.

The chairman of the union at the university, Dr. Mansur Sa'id, stated this at a news conference on Friday in Kano.

He decried the inability of the state governments to address lingering issues bedevilling the development of the university education system.

Sa’id condemned the underfunding and the dissolution of the governing councils of the two state-owned universities, adding that the state government released only 30.3 percent and 46.2 percent of the 2023 estimate for the Kano University of Technology (KUST) and YUMSUK, respectively.

“ASUU-YUMSUK, therefore, calls on both the Federal and Kano State Governments to adequately fund the universities to save them from imminent collapse.

“We also call on all patriots in the media, civil society, labour movements and student groups to support our altruistic struggle to reposition the Nigerian public universities.

“The union condemns the government’s antics as they continue to fail in fulfilling the promises they took with a view to addressing the issues in contention, leading to erosion of trust, displeasure and scepticism," he said

The union, he said, urged the Federal Government to expedite action to facilitate renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and resume payment of salary arrears and academic allowances to its members.

The chairman said the union was also concerned about the insecurity, poverty, and rising cost of living in the country.

“We call on President Bola Tinubu, Gov. Abba Kabir-Yusuf, and all relevant stakeholders to work towards reconstituting the committee with a view to reviewing, signing, and implementing the Nimi Briggs-led renegotiated draft agreement,” Sa’id said.

On his part, Dr. Aliyu Ahmad, the Chairman of the union, KUST, urged well-meaning Nigerians to intervene towards addressing the impasse and avoiding strikes by its members.

“The government’s action to ignore ASUU on the contending issues confirmed the fact that they were not moved by the several clarification calls and efforts the union has made to get it attended,” he said.

While dismissing the dissolution or absence of governing councils in some federal and state universities, Ahmad urged Nigerians to support the union in its campaign to reinvigorate university education in the country.