The chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bayero University Kano (BUK) chapter, Prof. Ibrahim Tajo-Siraj, has accused the Federal Government of deceit over its claim of releasing N50 billion for the payment of earned academic allowances to university lecturers.
Prof. Siraj made the accusation during an exclusive interview with Daily News 24 on Monday, insisting that the government’s claim was misleading and only a fraction of the promised funds had been released. He noted that the union at BUK has fully complied with the ongoing two-week nationwide strike declared by ASUU on Monday.
READ ALSO: NASU, SSANU extend strike by two months
According to him, the strike is necessary and timely, as the issues affecting BUK lecturers mirror those confronting academics across all federal universities. These include the non-implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN agreement, unpaid backlog salaries, poor funding of public universities, and lack of commitment to salary reviews and arrears payment.
“There is an urgent need for the federal government to fund universities for better classroom experience, hostels, clinics, and libraries,” he said.
The ASUU chairman faulted the Minister of Education’s claim that the government had met all the union’s demands and released N50 billion for allowances. “That statement is a half-truth,” he said, explaining that while funds were released, they were not up to the amount claimed, and the payment was shared with other unions that have separate agreements.
“With the money that was released, BUK was only able to pay 23.4 percent of what it owes. This shows that the government has not been sincere with the union,” he added.
Prof. Siraj also defended the strike amid complaints from students, arguing that “not going on strike is the most unfair thing to do.” He said ASUU’s action is in the interest of students and aimed at rescuing Nigeria’s higher education system from collapse.
He lamented that Nigerian professors are among the lowest paid in Africa, earning less than $400 monthly compared to about $2,000 received by their counterparts abroad. “This disparity pushes many lecturers to leave the country in search of better opportunities. Those who remain are forced to seek alternative income, which affects their focus on teaching and research,” he said.
The ASUU chairman expressed optimism that the federal government would not allow the strike to drag on, saying the union remains open to dialogue. However, he warned that failure to reach an agreement could force the union to consider an indefinite strike.
Meanwhile, the Students’ Union Government (SUG) president of Bayero University Kano, Abdullahi Usman Baba, acknowledged that ASUU’s demands are justified but said the strike continues to take a heavy toll on students.
He said several meetings had been held with ASUU-BUK, stressing that “the strike is not meant to suffocate academic activities but to ensure a better learning environment.” Baba urged the inclusion of student representatives in future negotiations between ASUU and the government to help achieve a lasting solution.
Some students also expressed mixed feelings about the ongoing strike. Yunusa Abdulkareem, a pharmacy student, said, “ASUU’s demands are worthy, and I support them because they are fighting for both lecturers and students.”
However, Nawal Muhammad, a final-year biochemistry student, lamented that repeated strikes have disrupted the academic calendar, often leading to extra years in school. She appealed to both parties to reach an agreement quickly, saying, “Students are the real victims whenever there’s a standoff.”
