At least 30 members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have resigned from Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) in Bauchi State. This was disclosed by the ASUU Bauchi Zone Coordinator, Namo Timothy, during a press conference held on Friday at the university’s Yuli Campus.
Timothy expressed concerns over the deteriorating state of the university, attributing it to the poor management of the institution and the welfare of its staff by the state government.
He called on the Bauchi State government to declare a state of emergency at the university to address the long-standing issues, stating that “Unless this is done, the ASUU branch can no longer ensure industrial harmony between the members of the SAZU branch and the university administration.”
According to Timothy, the union has reached out to various stakeholders and sent numerous correspondences in a bid to resolve these matters, but no solution has been reached.
He revealed that SAZU staff do not have pension or death benefit schemes in place, which are standard in public service regulations across the country.
He further highlighted that the university owes its staff over 650 million naira in Earned Academic Allowances and Excess Work Load Allowances dating back to 2012.
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Timothy also criticized the appointment of a Higher National Diploma (HND) holder as the university’s Bursar, which contradicts the institution’s regulations that require a minimum of a first degree for such positions. He explained that this move has demoralized staff members and led to the resignation of 30 PhD holders who have opted to join other institutions where their future is more secure.
The Coordinator urged the Bauchi government and the university administration to establish a comprehensive exit policy that includes pension and death benefits for its staff.
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