Kaduna Varsity Lecturers Can’t Fuel Their Motorcycles – ASUU

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Kaduna State University, KASU, chapter, has raised the alarm over what it described as the worsening financial hardship faced by lecturers at the institution, alleging that some can no longer afford to fuel for their motorcycles, let alone cars.

Chairman of ASUU-KASU, Dr Abubakar Abdullahi, who disclosed this while speaking on the welfare of lecturers, said poor remuneration and unresolved welfare issues had made life increasingly difficult for academic staff.

“I know lecturers who cannot even afford to buy fuel for their motorcycles because of the low salaries they receive,” Abdullahi said.

He alleged that the situation had forced about 200 lecturers, including senior academics and professors, to leave the university in search of better working conditions and remuneration elsewhere.

Abdullahi said the continued loss of experienced academics could have serious implications for the quality of teaching, research and the overall development of KASU.

VC disputes reports on 200 lecturers
However, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Abdullahi Ibrahim Musa, has dismissed the claim that 200 lecturers resigned because of poor working conditions, describing the figure as “misleading and unsupported by the University’s records”.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the Vice Chancellor said staff movements arising from resignations, retirements, transfers and the pursuit of other professional opportunities were normal within the university system and should not be presented without context as evidence of deteriorating working conditions.

He challenged ASUU to provide verifiable evidence, including the identities of those who allegedly resigned, dates of their resignations and the reasons given by the affected academics for leaving the university.

Musa said public discussion about KASU should be guided by facts and verifiable records rather than assertions capable of creating anxiety among students, parents and members of the university community.

The Vice Chancellor also defended the Kaduna State Government’s record on staff welfare, saying Governor Uba Sani had cleared inherited salary arrears and released substantial funds to support the university.

According to him, the administration had released more than N800 million for staff welfare over the last three years, in addition to N146 million used to clear withheld salaries and outstanding SIWES allowances inherited from previous administrations.

He said the government, university management and ASUU-KASU had also established a N50 million monthly standing intervention to support the institution.
“In 2026 alone, Government has further disbursed over N200 million in overhead funding to support day-to-day operations, including laboratory chemicals and reagents, students’ field trips, examinations and other essential academic activities,” Musa said.

He added that more than N300 million had been invested in the accreditation of over 57 academic programmes and resource verification exercises for 60 postgraduate programmes by the National Universities Commission.

The Vice Chancellor further listed research grants, new research centres, professional development programmes and other academic interventions as evidence of what he described as the government’s sustained investment in KASU.

Lecturers facing welfare crisis – Union insists
Despite the interventions cited by the management, ASUU maintains that the welfare crisis facing lecturers remains unresolved.

Abdullahi said the union’s major demand was the implementation of outstanding agreements relating to staff welfare, funding and the conditions of service.

He argued that improved remuneration was essential to retaining qualified academics and preventing further loss of experienced lecturers to institutions offering better conditions.

The ASUU chairman warned that if the trend continued, KASU could lose more of its experienced manpower, with consequences for teaching, research and the university’s long-term academic standing.

The Vice Chancellor, however, said management acknowledged that some welfare issues remained outstanding and was committed to addressing them progressively.

He urged ASUU to pursue dialogue rather than any action that could disrupt the academic calendar and impose additional hardship on students and parents.

Musa also advised the union to remain focused on the legitimate welfare interests of its members and avoid being drawn into partisan politics.

He maintained that constructive dialogue remained the most effective way of resolving the outstanding issues, stressing that industrial action should be a last resort where government had demonstrated willingness to engage and commit resources to addressing staff concerns.

SOURCE: VANGUARD