ASUU laments absence of employee exit policy in Sa’adu Zungur University Bauchi
By Samuel Luka, Bauchi
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Bauchi Zone has lamented that 13 years after the establishment of Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) Bauchi, there has been absence of employee exit policy for the staff.
The ASUU Bauchi Zone which comprises ATBU Bauchi; FU, Kashere, GSU Gombe, PLASU, Bokkos, UNIJOS, Jos and Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi, also revealed that the worsening work condition in the university has made 30 trained PhD holders to resign and migrate to other institutions where their future is more secured.
Addressing a press conference after its special meeting held on Friday at the Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) Yuli Campus, Namo O. Aku Timothy, Zonal Coordinator, Bauchi Zone, said that the meeting extensively deliberated on lingering issues involving the welfare and working conditions of its members in Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi.
According to Timothy, the Zone has before then, engaged key stakeholders (Bauchi State Government, the Governing Council and the University Administration) and exchanged several correspondences in an attempt to resolve these issues to no avail.
“It may interest you to know that thirteen years after the establishment of Sa’adu Zungur University, Bauchi, there is no exit policy for the employees of the institution. For the avoidance of doubt, SAZU has no pension or death benefit scheme in place as obtained in the structured public service regulation in the country”, ASUU laments.
The Zonal Coordinator who expressed sadness over the worsening work condition in SAZU, revealed that the administration of the SAZU has failed to pay his members their rightful entitlements as enshrined in the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement.
According to him, the entitlements include earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and Excess Work Load Allowance (EWLA) which he said has accumulated to over 650 million naira from 2012 to date.
He further explained that the honorarium for Internal Examiners has not been paid since the commencement of postgraduate programmes in the University in which many students have graduated.
“However, in spite of the huge sums of revenue generated from these programmes, our members have never been compensated for their involvement in the postgraduate oral examinations, contrary to the provision of the FGN/ASUU 2009 Agreement”, SAZU added.
While decrying poor Staff Welfare in SAZU, the ASUU Bauchi zonal coordinator said the institution recently increased the fees and other charges for regular undergraduate programmes by more than 100 per cent but claimed lack of funds to pay his members their allowances and other benefits which have accumulated over the years.