The Kaduna State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU-KASU, has expressed its readiness to enter immediate negotiations with the Kaduna State Government to resolve outstanding issues threatening industrial harmony at the institution.
The union’s chairman, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, stated this on Thursday during a press conference at the ASUU secretariat in Kaduna, saying the union was prepared to meet with the government at any time to find lasting solutions to the challenges facing the university.
“Even if government calls us now, we are ready to move. Anything that will bring peace and stability to the system is what we want. Even if it is 3am, wherever we are, we are ready to go and engage and find solutions to the problems.”
Abdullahi said the two-week ultimatum issued by the union followed a directive from its national leadership, but expressed optimism that discussions with the state government could produce concrete results before the deadline expires.
He stressed that the union was not seeking to shut down the university, noting that industrial action would have negative consequences for lecturers, students and the institution.
“We don’t want to go on strike. We don’t want to shut down the university because we know the implications. We want peace and stability in the university.”
The chairman identified the implementation and domestication of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement as the union’s primary demand, saying its implementation would significantly improve staff welfare and address some of the university’s challenges.
“Our major concern is the implementation of the 2025 agreement. If the agreement is implemented, it will go a long way in addressing the welfare of our members and some of the challenges facing the university.”
Abdullahi recalled that the union had previously raised 10 issues during an earlier industrial dispute. He said three had been resolved by the authorities, while seven remained outstanding despite nearly two years of engagements.
“We have 10 issues that we raised before. Three have been addressed and we appreciate the government for that. But seven are still outstanding and we have been engaging for almost two years.”
The latest development follows the union’s two-week ultimatum amid concerns over the departure of academic staff from KASU and the failure to implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement.
ASUU-KASU had warned that failure to address its demands could result in a total and indefinite strike. Other outstanding concerns include university autonomy, excessive workload, promotion arrears, death benefits, group life insurance, wage awards and pension remittances.
The union also alleged that more than 200 academic staff, including professors, had left the institution because of poor working conditions and the non-implementation of the 2025 agreement.
However, the Kaduna State Government has expressed willingness to engage the union. The Principal Private Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, Prof Bello Ayuba, said on Wednesday that the government was committed to dialogue and resolving the issues without disrupting academic activities.
Abdullahi welcomed the prospect of renewed negotiations and assured the government that the union would approach the discussions in good faith.
“Anything that will bring peace and stability to the system, we are ready for it. We are ready to sit down with government and find solutions to these problems.”
He urged the state government to urgently address the outstanding demands, saying this would help restore confidence among academic staff and prevent a disruption of academic activities at KASU.
