By Muhammad Nur Tijani
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU), Kano zone, has called on the Federal Government to address all the outstanding issues in the agreements and memoranda they signed with the union to ensure industrial harmony in Nigeria.
The call was made by the Zonal Coordinator, Mr Abdulqadir Muhammad, during a news briefing at the end of a zonal meeting comprising the seven universities in the zone on Thursday in Kano.
He explained that the issues include renegotiation of the Federal Government – ASUU 2009 agreement and funding for the revitalization of public universities for global reckoning, respect for university autonomy, among others.
According to him, the non signing of the draft renegotiated agreement has led to widespread discontent and declining morale among their members, resulting in brain drain
“Therefore, ASUU Kano zone call on the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to respect the provisions of International Labour Organization(ILO) convention, to which Nigeria is a signatory.”
He also called for the release of funds for the payment of salary arrears, Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and withheld salary.
On university autonomy, the union called on the Kano State Government to immediately reinstate the arbitrarily dissolved governing council of the two state-owned universities.
ASUU Kano zone further called on the state governments to take a queue from the presidential directive resulting from court ruling to exempt tertiary institutions from IPPIS and stop illegal enrollment of their members into related platforms.
On the state of the nation, ASUU expressed worry over recurring insecurity, poverty, unemployment, rising cost of living, livelihood displacement, and heightened destitution in the country.
They also called on the government to urgently review the Nigeria University Commission, (NUC) Act to check the proliferation of universities in the country without adequate provision for funding.(NAN)
