Inadequate funding:ASUU warns of University’s collapse in Kebbi

By Haruna Usman , Birnin Kebbi

…Decries infrastructure decay

…Owed 11 years earned academic allowances

…Laments unsecured University environment

Kebbi state branch, of academic staff Union of Nigerian universities ASUU,has raised the alarm that poor funding of the state University of Science and technology, Aliero KSUSTA may lead to the collapse of the University.

The state Chairman of the union,Dr Abubakar Umar Birnin Yauri, in a press conference in Birnin Kebbi said that, the University is facing myriad of problems from infrastructure decay which include poor accommodation for lecturers and inadequate students hostel and none payments of earned academic allowances for 11 years.

He noted that, for over six years lecturers of the University have not gotten promotion implementation not to talk of arrears and even when they get the promotion sometimes it takes almost a year before they implementation which he said was responsible for the mass exit of vibrant and intelligent academic staff numbering 20 and still counting.

Yauri lamented that poor electricity in the University is hindering research works in laboratory hence the technical lab lay waste due poor power supply which also affects the machines that suppose to be operated almost on daily basis to enhance productivity and increase academic research.

He explained that, the size of the University workforce has increased but the structures are not only bad but insufficient to accommodate them same thing is happening to students who had to stay off campus in Jega or Birnin Kebbi the state capital to daily attend lectures ” am afraid if the University remains under funded with decaying infrastructure it will collapse he warned”.

On healthcare, the unionist said that the University clinic has no doctor since it was established and they have written over the issue nothing has been done and the security of the University is another source of worry as a lecturer was once kidnapped one other was marked for killing but escaped by the whiskers therefore the University needs security to operate without any fear of attack by gunmen.

He appealed to Kebbi government to meet their demands to avert the collapse of the University saying they believe the comrade governor would address the issues raised to save the only state owned University where children of the poor studies.

In his reaction, the commissioner for high education, Kebbi state, Abubakar Isah Tunga has denied their allegations vie text message directing the correspondent to visit the University but declined to comment on unpaid academic earned allowances and promotions implementations.