KASU-ASUU: Kaduna sets up panel, approves N300m

The Kaduna State Government has constituted a nine-member committee to negotiate and review the demands of staff unions at Kaduna State University, KASU, while approving a one-off payment of N300 million as Earned Academic Allowance.

The development followed concerns raised by the KASU chapters of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and other unions over outstanding allowances and other staff welfare issues.

The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, AbdulKadir Mu’azu Meyere, announced the decisions in a statement, saying the intervention was aimed at promoting industrial harmony and ensuring stability at the university.

According to Meyere, the N300 million approved by Governor Uba Sani would contribute to addressing accumulated Earned Academic Allowance estimated at more than N800 million, with some of the outstanding entitlements dating back to 2016.

He said the latest intervention was part of measures taken by the administration to improve staff welfare and resolve longstanding financial obligations to the university community.

Meyere listed the settlement of outstanding withheld salaries among the measures already implemented by the administration.

He also said the government had released more than N300 million for the accreditation of academic programmes and resource verification exercises for postgraduate programmes.

Other interventions, according to him, included the release of funds to settle outstanding allowances for SIWES supervision and the establishment of a N50 million monthly standing order for the gradual payment of accumulated arrears.

The newly constituted negotiation committee will be chaired by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sani Sambo.

Members include the Commissioner for Business, Innovation and Technology, Patience Fakai; Commissioner for Youth, Gloria Ibrahim; Chairman of the Local Government Service Board, Prof. Ladan Sharehu; and Director-General of the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Prof. Usman Abubakar Zaria.

The Vice-Chancellor of KASU, Prof. Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, and the institution’s Pro-Chancellor, Dr Ibrahim Umar, are also members.

The Permanent Secretary, General Services, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, will serve as a member, while the Permanent Secretary, Establishments Services and Training, will serve as secretary.

The committee has four weeks to complete its assignment and submit its recommendations to the state government.

It is mandated to review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT.

The committee will also examine the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, and compare KASU’s conditions with those obtainable in other state-owned universities.

It is further expected to assess the financial implications of implementing demands arising from the 2025 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government.

Meyere said the committee would recommend practical and financially sustainable measures for resolving the outstanding issues.

He urged the unions to prioritise dialogue, negotiation and collective bargaining rather than industrial action that could disrupt academic activities and negatively affect students and their families.

The government, he added, remained committed to keeping channels of communication open with the university community while strengthening KASU, improving staff welfare and ensuring uninterrupted academic activities.