BREAKING: Kano ASUU decries threats on Kaduna varsity members

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Kano Zone, has lamented the continued intimidation and threats on their members at the Kaduna State University by the administration of Governor Nasir El-Rufai.

The union made this known in a press statement signed by its Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Abdulkadir Muhammad, and issued to newsmen in Kaduna on Monday.

The statement said the Kano Zone of ASUU comprising Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Bayero University Kano, Federal University, Dutse, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kaduna State University, Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa and Yusuf Mataima Sule University, Kano, met on 7 August, 2022.

During the meeting, they deliberated on the intimidation meted on the ASUU members at KASU by the Government of Nasir Ahmed El-Rufai over the ongoing nationwide strike action embarked upon as directed by the National Union.

The governor had threatened to sack all academic staff that had joined the strike action.

According to them, ASUU as a union had experienced similar threats in the past, and that had never deterred it from the patriotic struggles to salvage their public universities from imminent collapse.

The statement read, “It is therefore illogical for the Government of Nasir El-Rufei to bluff that members of ASUU-KASU should either break away from the National strike or be sacked.

“Since the issuance of this threat, our members have constantly been intimidated and coerced by the University Council and Management through opening of registers, conduct of a comic exercise called examinations, selective stoppage of staff salaries, among others.”

The union explained that KASU has benefited immensely from the TETFund interventions, revitalization fund, staff development and provision of research grants, which are dividends of ASUU strikes.

It added that the Kaduna State University was one of the universities that could rightly be described as ‘TETFund University’ since virtually all buildings in the University were constructed by TETFund interventions.

“We challenge the visitor of KASU to show a single structure he constructed on KASU campuses during his two-term tenure as Governor of Kaduna State,” the union said.

While commenting on the ongoing examinations in the state University, ASUU demands that all the so-called examinations so far conducted be discarded in order to maintain and respect the sacred system of evaluation in the university system.

The statement added, “The union would not fold its arms while the university evaluation system is being bastardized and abused by the Management of KASU.

“The examinations must be re-conducted after following the due process and suspension of the ongoing strike action, otherwise, the Union will be left with no option but to write a petition to the National Universities Commission l and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission against the Management of KASU.

“We commend the commitment and resilience of ASUU-KASU members for not succumbing to the antics of Kaduna State Government and its agents.”