The management of Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State has denied reports regarding the resignation of 30 PhD holders from the institution.
In a press release issued on Sunday, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, described the claim as misleading, inaccurate, and unfounded. He stated that SAZU has not received any resignation letters from PhD staff citing poor salaries.
Auwal said, “The university has not received any resignation letter from the purported 30 PhD holders or any significant number of academic staff.
“Our record shows that only six PhD, have exited or are away from the university in the past 1 year and 10 months of the tenure of this administration, citing various personal reasons not related to salary concerns.”
He disclosed statistics of some academic staff who are away on sabbatical leave, leave of absence, or secondment, and those who, for one disciplinary reason, are dismissed from the University.
The PRO also cited that there are staff that resigned for personal reasons, not related to poor pay.
Auwal revealed that the university records some staff absence, including dismissal of “six persons, based on abscondment or disciplinary grounds, two sabbatical leave, two secondments, one leave of absence.”
He noted that SAZU has a total number of 397 academic staff with “18 Professors, 9 Readers, 57 Senior Lecturers, 113 Lecturer I, 47 Lecturer II, 76 Assistant Lecturers, 77 Graduate Assistants, 3.”
He added, “The university, through the support of the Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed, has consistently prioritized the welfare and development of its staff, including academic staff, and has implemented various initiatives to enhance their working conditions.
“This involves timely salary paymentand other financial benefits.”
Auwal Hassan emphasized that under the current administration’s leadership since December 2022, the university has promptly promoted numerous academic staff and has ensured the full payment of promotion arrears where applicable.
This statement comes in response to reports from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which claimed that at least 30 PhD holders among its members have resigned from SAZU.
Namo Timothy, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Bauchi Zone, made this announcement during a press conference at the Yuli Campus of the university on Friday. He expressed concerns that the state-owned institution is in a precarious situation due to poor management of its affairs and the well-being of its staff.
Timothy urged the Bauchi government to declare a state of emergency at the university to address these longstanding issues. He stated, “Until and unless this is done, the ASUU branch zone can no longer guarantee industrial harmony between members of the ASUU SAZU branch and the university administration.
“The zone has engaged key stakeholders and exchanged several correspondences in an attempt to resolve these issues to no avail.”
He lamented that ASUU members at SAZU do not have a pension or death benefit scheme as obtained in a structured public service regulation across the country.
According to him, the SAZU administration owed its members Earned Academic Allowance and Excess Work Load Allowance to the tune of over 650 million naira from 2012 to date.
Timothy also decried how a HND graduate was appointed Bursar of the university contrary to the provision of service of the university which spelt that only candidates with a minimum of first degree would be considered for appointment as Bursar.
“This has not only dampened the morale of our members in the university but forced many, including 30 trained PhD holders to resign and migrate to other institutions where their future is secured,” he added.
The Coordinator called on the Bauchi government and the university administration to put in place a comprehensive exit policy covering pension and death benefits for staff.
