A coalition known as Concerned Kaduna State Students has described the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Kaduna State University (KASU) as unnecessary.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the group voiced its dissatisfaction with certain student leaders who, it claimed, were backing the strike. According to them, some of these leaders were being manipulated by external forces working against the lecturers who are advocating for the collective interests of both staff and students.
“The strike by ASUU-KASU is avoidable,” the statement read. “Nevertheless, the union resorted to this action only after exhausting all dialogue and negotiations with the state government, which failed to honour previous agreements.”
The group highlighted several unmet obligations by the government, including the non-payment of salaries withheld between May and September 2022, outstanding earned academic allowances dating back to 2016, unpaid promotion arrears, and pension contributions spanning 2009 to 2019.
They also pointed to additional unresolved issues such as the non-implementation of group life insurance and the breach of university autonomy.
Calling for urgent government intervention, the group appealed to civil society organizations to pressure Governor Uba Sani to take immediate steps toward resolving the dispute. They stressed the importance of prioritizing the welfare of university staff and safeguarding the academic future of students.
“Education should be treated as a right, not a privilege,” the group said, emphasizing that responding to the legitimate demands of the lecturers is vital for the state’s educational development.
They concluded by urging the government to uphold the integrity of academic institutions and ensure quality education through the proper treatment of university staff.
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