The Kaduna State Government has approved the immediate payment of ₦300 million in Earned Academic Allowance to academic staff of Kaduna State University (KASU) and has established a nine-member committee to negotiate with university staff unions over their outstanding demands.
The move follows concerns over staff welfare and working conditions after the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), KASU chapter, recently issued a two-week ultimatum to the state government and university management.
However, ASUU-KASU said it preferred dialogue and negotiation rather than industrial action.
The Secretary to the Kaduna State Government, Dr Abdulkadir Meyere, said the committee would review the demands of ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
According to Meyere, the ₦300 million payment is part of Governor Uba Sani’s efforts to clear more than ₦800 million in accumulated entitlements and allowances dating back to 2016.
The government also said it had paid outstanding withheld salaries and released funds for arrears relating to supervision under the Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES).
It has further established a ₦50 million monthly standing order to gradually settle outstanding arrears and staff-related claims.
The government said it had also spent more than ₦300 million on accreditation of academic programmes and postgraduate resource verification at KASU.
The committee, chaired by the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Abubakar Sambo, has four weeks to complete its work and submit recommendations.
Among the issues it will examine are the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, KASU's working conditions compared with those of other state-owned universities, and the financial implications of implementing demands arising from the 2025 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
The government urged the unions to continue with dialogue and collective bargaining instead of embarking on a strike that could disrupt academic activities.
ASUU-KASU Chairman, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, said the union was not eager to strike and remained ready to negotiate with the government.
He said the union's priority was to achieve peace, stability and improved conditions within the university system.
.jpeg)
.jpeg "Sunayen kofofin aljanna guda takwas 8")
0 Comment about the Post: