Bauchi University Refutes Claim of 30 PhD Holders Resigning

Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State has denied claims that 30 PhD holders resigned due to poor salaries, stating that only six staff members left for personal reasons, while the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) accused the university of mismanagement and poor working conditions.

The management of Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) in Bauchi State has dismissed reports suggesting that 30 PhD holders have resigned due to dissatisfaction with their salaries.

A statement released on Sunday by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, labeled the claim as false, misleading, and baseless, emphasizing that the university had not received any resignation letters from such a number of academic staff citing salary issues.

According to Auwal, “The university has not received any resignation letters from the alleged 30 PhD holders or any significant number of academic staff.” He added that in the past 1 year and 10 months under the current administration, only six PhD holders had left the institution, citing personal reasons unrelated to salary concerns.

He also clarified that some academic staff were on sabbatical leave, secondment, or leave of absence, while others were dismissed for disciplinary reasons. Auwal further explained that the university had records of staff resigning for personal reasons, not because of salary dissatisfaction.

Auwal provided additional statistics on the staff composition of SAZU, revealing a total of 397 academic staff, which includes 18 Professors, 9 Readers, 57 Senior Lecturers, 113 Lecturer I, 47 Lecturer II, 76 Assistant Lecturers, and 77 Graduate Assistants. He also highlighted that the university, with the support of Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, had consistently focused on improving staff welfare through timely salary payments and various other benefits.

Auwal also noted that under the current administration, numerous academic staff members have been promoted since December 2022, with their promotion arrears fully paid where applicable.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently reported that at least 30 PhD holders had resigned from SAZU due to low salaries and poor working conditions. Namo Timothy, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU in Bauchi, made the claim during a press conference at the university’s Yuli campus on Friday. He accused the university of mismanagement and failing to prioritize the well-being of its staff.

Timothy called on the Bauchi State Government to declare a state of emergency at SAZU to address the ongoing issues. He warned that unless these issues were resolved, ASUU could not guarantee continued industrial harmony at the university. He also criticized the lack of pension and death benefits for ASUU members and claimed that the university administration owed over 650 million naira in Earned Academic Allowance and Excess Work Load Allowance since 2012.

Timothy also raised concerns about the appointment of a Bursar with only an HND qualification, despite the university’s regulations requiring a first degree for such a position. He argued that this decision had demoralized staff and contributed to the resignation of 30 PhD holders, who had left in search of more secure futures at other institutions.

He urged the Bauchi State Government and the university administration to implement a comprehensive exit policy that includes pension and death benefits for staff.

READ ALSO: 30 PhD Holders Resigned in Bauchi Varsity Over Poor Pay—ASUU

SOURCES: ALLSCHOOL, PUNCH