KASU: ASUU commends Kaduna govt over tuition, salary reforms

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) chapter, has commended the Kaduna State Government for addressing some of the longstanding challenges facing the institution.

The branch chairman, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, gave the commendation on Thursday during a press briefing in Kaduna on the union’s ultimatum to the state government over outstanding welfare and institutional concerns.

Abdullahi said the union’s criticism was not aimed at attacking the government but at highlighting areas requiring further intervention to strengthen KASU.

He said ASUU would continue to acknowledge the government’s efforts whenever it addressed issues affecting the university.

“Where you have done something, we commend you, and where there is an issue, we bring it to your attention to address,” he said.

According to him, the government had implemented some provisions contained in previous agreements with the union, particularly those relating to salaries and allowances.

He said three of about 10 issues previously raised by ASUU had been addressed, while seven remained unresolved.

Abdullahi particularly praised the government for reviewing its earlier decision to increase school fees after ASUU opposed the move, warning that the increase could have placed additional financial pressure on students.

“When the current government came about, they reviewed the decision and we commend them for that,” he said.

The chairman stressed that ASUU’s demands went beyond the welfare of lecturers, saying the union was concerned about the overall development and competitiveness of the university system.

He noted that the responsibilities of academics extended to teaching, research and community service.

Abdullahi also highlighted KASU’s achievements despite the challenges facing the institution, saying the university had performed creditably compared with older and more established institutions.

He described KASU as a long-term asset that could continue serving Kaduna State for generations if adequately supported.

“Roads would come and go. Physical infrastructure would not live more than 30 to 50 years. But KASU is an institution we hope and pray will still be here for the next 100 or 200 years,” he said.

He added that the university had been established on a strong foundation and had recorded achievements comparable with those of first-generation universities.

“I am not even talking about state universities. Federally established universities, first-generation universities, we go to places and we beat them, hands down,” Abdullahi said.

The ASUU chairman therefore called for sustained government funding and improved staff welfare to enable KASU to retain qualified academics and maintain its standards.

On the union’s two-week ultimatum, Abdullahi said ASUU was not seeking industrial action, stressing that negotiation remained its preferred approach.

“Usually, people have this wrong notion that ASUU always wants to embark on strike. That is not our desire or passion,” he said.

He explained that the briefing was intended to draw attention to the outstanding challenges and encourage the government to resolve them before the ultimatum expires.

Abdullahi reiterated the union’s readiness to meet with the government at any time, saying dialogue remained essential to maintaining peace and stability at the university.

“Even if the government calls us now, we are ready to move. Anything that will bring peace to the system, stability, that is what we want,” he said.

He also urged the Kaduna Government to implement the new Federal Government-ASUU agreement, saying its provisions would improve staff welfare, funding and university administration.

The chairman appealed to the state government to use the outstanding challenges as an opportunity to strengthen KASU and leave a lasting legacy in the education sector.

“The government has the opportunity to write its name in gold by actually fixing a problem system they inherited,” he said.

Abdullahi urged Kaduna State to sustain its reputation as a centre of learning by prioritising education and ensuring the state remains competitive in the sector.