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The management of the Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State has denied the exit of 30 PhD holders from the university.

According to a press release issued to journalists on Sunday, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, denied that no less than 30 PhD holders resigned from the university.

He said the report was not only misleading but inaccurate and unfounded while insisting that SAZU has not received any resignation letter from any PhD staff who cited poor salary as reasons for the exit.

Hassan clarified, “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 one year and 10 months of the tenure of this administration, and they cited various personal reasons not related to salary concerns.”

He reeled out statistics, which confirmed that a number of the academic staff were away on sabbatical leave, leave of absence, or secondment, and those who, for one disciplinary reason, were dismissed from the university.

The PRO also cited that there are staff that resigned for personal reasons but not related to poor pay.

Hassan further revealed that the university’s record also shows that the absence of some staff was also due to their dismissal.

Hassan explains, “Six persons are absent based on abscondment or disciplinary grounds; two are on sabbatical leave; two are on secondment leave; and One of them is on leave of absence.”

He noted that SAZU has a total number of 397 academic staff with “18 Professors, nine Readers, 57 Senior Lecturers, 113 Lecturer I, 47 Lecturer II, 76 Assistant Lecturers, 77 Graduate Assistants, 3.”

According to him, “The university through the support of the Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed has consistently prioritised the welfare and development of its staff, including academic staff, and has implemented various initiatives to enhance their working conditions.

“This involves the timely salary payment and other financial benefits.”

Hassan insisted that under the leadership of the current administration, since December 2022, the university has timely promoted numerous academic staff with full payment of promotion arrears where applicable.

Arewa PUNCH recalls that the Academic Staff Union of Universities had earlier disclosed that not less than 30 PhD holders of its members had resigned from the Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State.

The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Bauchi Zone, Namo Timothy, disclosed this during a press conference at the Yuli Campus of the university on Friday.

Timothy noted that SAZU, a state government-owned varsity, is on the verge of collapse due to poor handling of affairs of the university and the well-being of its members.

While calling on the Bauchi government to declare a state of emergency on the university and reverse trends of poor handling of affairs as occasioned over the years, the ASUU Coordinator explained that “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 alleged that ASUU members at SAZU do not have a pension nor death benefit scheme as obtained in other structured public service regulations across the country.

According to him, the SAZU administration also allegedly owes its members Earned Academic Allowance and Excess Work Load Allowance to the tune of over N650 million from 2012 to date.

Timothy also decried how an HND graduate was appointed Bursar of the university contrary to the provision of service of the university which spelled 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.

As a result, the coordinator urged the Bauchi government and the university administration to put in place a comprehensive exit policy covering pension and death benefits for staff.

Credit: PUNCH