Underfunding and bad governance have continued to hinder the growth of state universities, and these factors threaten the existence of these institutions, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said.
Stating this was the coordinator of the Kano Zone of ASUU, Prof. Abdulkadir Muhammad, on Friday at a press conference at the Bayero University, Kano.
ASUU called on the National Assembly to pass the bill seeking to amend the National Universities Commission Act.
Muhammad said, “We are calling on the national assembly to, as a matter of urgency, consider and pass the Bill. Due to bad governance and underfunding, our state-owned universities may soon collapse beyond redemption.
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“Visitors of state universities had turned establishment of state universities into projects for appeasing electorates in their senatorial and state constituencies, while neglecting the existing state universities.
“Besides non-funding of capital projects, most state governors have also failed in the primary responsibility of regular payment of staff salaries in their universities.
“The government should also release N25 billion Earned Academic Allowance.
“We also urge the federal government to immediately remit withheld check-off dues to the branches of the withheld and amputated salaries/ allowances and third party deductions.”
