By Abbas Bamalli
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kano State University of Science and Technology (KUST) Wudil branch, has threatened to embark on a fresh strike immediately after the nationwide strike, if the state government failed to meet its demands.
The ASUU KUST branch chairman, Mahadi Lawal-Yakubu issued the threat on Tuesday when he led members of the union on a courtesy visit to the Speaker, Kano State House of Assembly, Alhaji Kabiru Rurum.
Lawal-Yakubu told newsmen shortly after the visit that they were at the House to intimate the Speaker about their problems as well as other issues affecting the union.
According to him, the union found it necessary to discuss the challenges with the Speaker, with the hope that he would intervene in the issue to avert possible strike by the Union.
He explained that the state government had approved for the payment of some allowances, but up to this moment not a single Kobo was paid.
He added that, “The reasons behind the nationwide strike by the Union is also common in our University. We have the same challenges which we have to struggle to make sure is resolved or we go on the strike.
“As soon as the nationwide strike ends, we are going to give the state government a period of grace to look into the issue or we go on strike.
“Strike is not our desire, but it has become our last option in our struggle to ensure the betterment of the university, and also to make sure that our children get a quality education.
He stressed the need for the state government to look into the issue to avoid a fresh strike because “we were in first semester when the nationwide strike started.
The chairman appealed to the state House of Assembly to give the education sector priority in the budgetary allocation in the next budget.
In his remark, the Speaker assured the Union that the Assembly would look into the issues with a view to meeting the governor to resolve it.
He called on the union to exercise patience as the assembly would do its best to ensure amicable resolution of the problem. (NAN)
