ASUU, management disagree over funding of Kano State University

THE management of Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST), Wudil, has refuted the claim by the institution’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that the state government is underfunding the university.

It claimed that government paid over N198 million as postgraduate research grant to the academic staff, and N200 million as hazard allowance to the non-teaching staff.

The university’s ASUU chairman and secretary, Mr Muhammad Sani Gaya and Mr Murtala Muhammad, in a statement made available to newmen stated that the persistent underfunding of the institution by the government had hampered the development of the institution.

Reacting to the allegation, the KUST management maintained that Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje was steadily making funds available toward the development of the institution and welfare of its staff.

Head, Information and Public Relations Unit, KUST, Sa’idu Abdullahi Nayaya, while addressing journalists, called on ASUU to join hands with the management on the development of the university, rather than denting its image.

The statement reads: “The university management will like to categorically state that Kano State government as the proprietor of the university has been releasing  funds, including the provision of N774 million for accreditation; prompt payment of staff’s salary, amounting to N2.6 billion annually and has undertaken other developmental projects – both academic and physical.

“On the claim that the university is solely dependent on TETFund for the provision of the needed infrastructure, we want to state that TETFund was established to support tertiary education in all public institutions.

“The management of the university should be appreciated for its zeal in attracting high impact, special and zonal interventions to the university which have led to the initiation and completion of many projects.”

Nayaya disclosed that the research grant for the academic staff was fully paid on Monday, 27 January, 2020.

However, the union insisted that for a long time, the state had virtually abandoned the provision of needed infrastructure to the university in the hands of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).

It stated that “poor funding of the university, has adversely affected the running of the university, which has resulted in inadequate provision of offices and laboratories, especially in the newly established departments, poor condition of students’ hostels, among others.”

The union further expressed displeasure over the non-payment of staff entitlements, some of which it noted had lingered since 2009/2010 session.

It then called on the state government and the authorities of the university to address the funding situation of the university in concrete terms and settle all outstanding claims of staff on or before Sunday, March 7, 2020, to avoid disruption of the academic calendar.

“The union should not be blamed for taking any unpalatable action after the expiration of the stated deadline,” the union warned.