Lecturers at Kaduna State University (KASU) have declared an indefinite strike starting February 11 due to unresolved welfare concerns and unpaid entitlements. The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), KASU branch, announced the decision after repeated efforts to get the Kaduna State Government to address their grievances failed.
In a letter signed by the union’s Chairman, Dr. Peter Adamu, and Secretary, Dr. Peter Waziri, ASUU-KASU informed its national body of the impending strike and sought approval for the action. The letter, obtained by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), outlined the lecturers’ complaints, including nonpayment of salaries, withheld allowances, and unremitted pension funds.
Years of Unpaid Salaries and Benefits
The lecturers said they had not received salaries for five months, from May to September 2022. In addition, 60 percent of their September 2017 salary and other withheld wages remain unpaid.
Other outstanding issues include nonpayment of Earned Academic Allowance from 2015 to 2020, Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) funds from 2016 to 2023, and promotion arrears from 2019 to 2023. The union also accused the government of failing to remit pension contributions from 2009 to 2019 and neglecting to provide Group Life Insurance for deceased academic staff since 2020.
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Unfulfilled Promises from Governor Uba Sani
The lecturers recalled meeting with Governor Uba Sani on August 17, 2024, to discuss their concerns. During the meeting, the governor reportedly assured them that he would begin paying the outstanding entitlements in installments.
Following that discussion, the union sent a formal reminder to the governor on August 20, 2024, through the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Mohammed Bello. They also wrote another appeal on October 28, 2024, urging the government to act swiftly.
On December 17, 2024, Governor Sani met again with the management and unions of tertiary institutions in the state. During the meeting, he announced that payment modalities would begin within three weeks. However, three weeks passed without any payments or official communication regarding the promised disbursements.
Final Warning Before Strike
On January 17, 2025, ASUU-KASU sent another letter to the governor, reminding him of his commitment.
“We are writing to remind you that today, Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2025, marks three weeks since the meeting was held at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, and we are yet to receive any information on the payment modalities as promised by His Excellency,” the letter stated.
The union urged Governor Sani to intervene promptly to prevent an industrial crisis in the university. “We are appealing for your prompt intervention to consolidate on the gains of the previous deliberations and agreements made, to forestall industrial dispute and crisis in KASU,” they added.
Strike Becomes Inevitable
With no response from the government, ASUU-KASU said it had no option but to go on an indefinite strike. The union expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to honor its commitments and warned that academic activities at KASU would be suspended until their demands were met.
Students and staff are now left uncertain about the academic calendar as the standoff between the lecturers and the government continues.