A total of 30 members affiliated with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have tendered their resignations from Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) in Bauchi State. This announcement was made by Namo Timothy, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Bauchi Zone, during a press conference held at the Yuli Campus of the university on Friday.
Timothy highlighted that the state government-owned institution, SAZU, is facing significant challenges, resulting from inadequate management of university affairs and the welfare of its faculty members. He urged the Bauchi government to declare a state of emergency at the university to rectify the longstanding mishandling of affairs. Additionally, he cautioned that without such intervention, the ASUU branch zone would be unable to ensure harmonious relations between its members and the university administration.
He expressed concern over the absence of pension and death benefit schemes for ASUU members at SAZU, which are typically available in structured public service organizations nationwide. Furthermore, Timothy revealed that the SAZU administration has failed to disburse Earned Academic Allowance and Excess Work Load Allowance, amounting to over N650 million from 2012 to the present.
Timothy also voiced dissatisfaction regarding the appointment of a Bursar at the university. Despite the university's regulations stipulating that only candidates with at least a first degree are eligible for the position, a candidate with an HND qualification was appointed.
Timothy emphasized that the ASUU zone has engaged in extensive dialogue with key stakeholders and initiated multiple correspondences to address these issues, yet these attempts have yielded no results. Consequently, the demoralization of university faculty members has led to the resignation of 30 trained PhD holders, who have sought employment at institutions where their professional future is more secure.