ASUU to release names of resigned PhD holders in Bauchi varsity
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State, has expressed its readiness to make public the names of thirty PhD holders who resigned from the university.
This is contained in a press release issued on Saturday by the ASUU-SAZU branch chairperson, Awwal Hussain.
Hussain, who was responding to a rejoinder by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, which faulted publications stating that 30 PhD holders resigned from the university, said ASUU has a verified list of the said number of staff who resigned and will release it at the appropriate time.
He maintained that, “The rejoinder issued by the SAZU spokesman was unfortunate and misleading. It presented the issues raised by the union as inaccurate, which we view as mischievous and misleading.
“The most alarming part is the acknowledgment of only one deceased academic staff member. This is not only reckless but also an insult to the university’s entire academic community and the families of other deceased staff members.
“The Union has a record of at least seven members of academic staff who have passed away, yet the university acknowledges only one. By deliberately downplaying the deaths of the late Dr. Abdulqadir Musa Badara of Business Administration, the late Maryam Zangoma of Biochemistry, the late Mr. Godwin of Public Administration, the late Salim Abubakar of Business Administration, the late Nasiru Saidu of Business Administration, the late Mohammed Manu of Education, and the late Muhammad Garba Imam from Biological Sciences—who all died in active service to the university—sends a disheartening message to the current serving staff that their contributions may be shortly forgotten after their death.”
The statement explained that this development could compel many ASUU members to reconsider their tenure at SAZU or join the over 30 academic staff who have already left the university or shifted their services to neighbouring institutions where they feel their contributions are more secure.
The ASUU-SAZU chairperson insisted that “this inaccurate account of the deceased from the university further validates ASUU’s record of over thirty PhD holders who have left the institution.
“The university has only acknowledged six departures in less than two years, though this figure is still inaccurate. Nevertheless, how many more could you expect to have left in recent years?”
He challenged journalists in the state to investigate and uncover the concerning number of PhDs that have left the university since the inception of SAZU.
Awwal added that “it is pathetic how the university administration is debunking this fact, as if the resignation of at least one PhD holder, trained with state resources, is not enough to disturb a leader who has the university and the state at heart.
“One may argue that it is normal for lecturers to resign and accept appointments at other universities; however, it is pertinent to note that while academic staff are resigning from SAZU to secure permanent appointments in other universities, there is no record of any academic staff resigning elsewhere to take up a permanent position at SAZU.
“This points to the fact that the poor conditions of service in SAZU are the main reason why the PhD holders in question have left.
Our correspondents gathered that the Bauchi State House of Assembly has vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the looming case of mass resignation of PhD holders due to alleged poor salaries and other entitlements at Sa’adu Zungur University.
In a motion under matters of urgent public importance moved by the assembly committee chairman on education, Nasiru Ala, during the plenary on Wednesday, he said the house is enjoined to advise the management of Sa’adu Zungur University to provide the assembly with a potential position paper for clarity on the matter, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Ala called on the house “to invite the state ministry for Higher Education and Regional Integration to provide and discuss the government’s stance on the lingering issue and the efforts and plans the state government is making to improve and enhance the education sector across the state.
“The chairman of the governing council of the university has overstayed; the situation is affecting the performance of the university.”
He suggested that appointing an indigenous member of the university will help address some of the ongoing issues affecting the institution, as all three vice-chancellors appointed for the university have been from other institutions.
