From Femi Mustapha, in Kaduna
Residents of Kaduna State have expressed dismay over the ongoing strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kaduna State University (KASU) branch, faulting the timing of the industrial action.
According to Mallam Ibrahim Haruna, a trader at Central Market, the strike was nothing but a setback to the Students of the institution; he therefore appealed to the Union to find other ways of addressing their grievances.
How another resident who is familiar with the strike action fingered some opposition bent on discrediting Governor Uba Sani’s administration behind the strike.
The Source, who will not want his name on print, disclosed that the notification letter for the strike was drafted in the residence of one of the politicians in Kaduna, where ASUU/KASU officials were camped to do their bidding.
It would be recalled that the notification letter dated 24th April 2025 and jointly signed by the chairman and Secretary of ASUU-KASU, Dr. Peter Adamu and Dr. Peter Waziri, made Point demands from the State government.
Some of the demands included payment of all withheld salaries from May to September 2022 and others, payment of Earned Academic Allowances ( EAA) 2016 till date, and non-remittance of pension 2009 to 2019, amongst others.
However, another resident, Ebenezer Immaculate, said that though the government is a continuity, what ASUU is demanding did not happen under Governor Sani’s administration.
Immaculate, who was a teacher in a private school in Chikun Local Government Area, expressed shock that despite the governor’s good gestures and cordial relationships with the union and the university authority, they decided to reward his government with strike action.
“There is, therefore, no doubt that opposition political parties and politicians are behind this strike action by ASUU. They must have incited them to bring down the government of Governor Uba Sani, knowing fully well that the governor has a good working relationship with the Union and the university.
“Can you imagine that as soon as the notification of strike action was drafted, it was already on the social media handles of some of the politicians? What does this tell you; it means that ASUU officials were camped in a politician’s residence and drafted the letter.
“I don’t think ASUU officials are interested in this strike because it appears that they were coerced into embarking on this fruitless strike. And I am happy to hear that the State government has set up a committee consisting of ASUU officials and government officials to reach a peaceful agreement”. He said.
Meanwhile, the ASUU notification letter read in part, “The indefinite strike action is due to breach of trust and failure of the government of Kaduna State to keep to promises and honor the agreement reached by both parties.”
