By Caroline Annabel, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kwara State University Branch wishes to express its solidarity and support for the national body of ASUU on the ongoing warning strike in pursuit of welfare of academic staff and improving the state of university education in Nigeria.
This is contained in a press statement issued by the Chairman of the KWASU Chapter of the Union, Dr. Shehu Abdulganiyu Salau and made available to newsmen in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.
Accordibg to the statement, “The KWASU branch, presently on observer status, is following the trend and the efforts of the national ASUU to resolve the matter before the federal government and is continuously briefing members of developments as communicated by the national ASUU, as well as attending branch and zonal meetings called to appraise the situation.
“As a young branch just admitted into the fold, KWASU has challenges owing to our funding status of zero subvention for about seven years ago. The branch relies on internally generated revenue (IGR) as well as loans from banks to run the university.
“This situation is detrimental in no small measure to the system. KWASU is relatively a new branch and our members are gradually being initiated into the ASUU philosophy, tradition and procedures.”
The statement further stated, “The national ASUU has been fully briefed about our peculiar situation and had directed the Ibadan Zone of ASUU to intervene and advise on how we can overcome the situation in our university.
“Our branch has acted on the advise of the zone and had communicated the Vice Chancellor, the Governing Council, the Honourable Commissioner for Tertiary Education and the Visitor, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazak.”
It said, “We are awaiting the outcome of the communication with the relevant authorities and will brief the zonal and national body of ASUU accordingly of developments. ASUU is on ground in KWASU and today, as directed by the national executive, we have convened an emergency Congress to brief members on developments in the last executive meeting held on Sunday, 13th March, 2022 to review the warning strike.”
The maintained that the University regretted its inability to join the second stage of the industrial impasse, owing to its peculiar situation.
It said, “We regret our inability to join the second stage of the current warning strike in view of peculiar challenges for which we seek the understanding of national body of our union.”
“However, we support the actions and initiatives of the national body on matters before the federal government, and call on the Nigerian government to do the needful to end the current impasse in the interest of the nation.” It maintained.
