The Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the alleged neglect of the education sector by the All Progressives Congress (APC) led administration.
In a statement by its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, the party blamed Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for the internal strike action declared by academic staff at the Gombe State University (GSU).
Daily Trust reports that the GSU chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had on Wednesday embarked on an indefinite strike over welfare issues.
The PDP stated that Yahaya’s administration negligence extends beyond higher education, thereby impacting the entire educational framework.
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“The current administration’s negligence extends beyond higher education, severely impacting the entire educational framework, starting from primary level. The inadequate welfare of teachers, particularly in primary schools, has contributed to a decline in the quality of education our children receive.
“The PDP in Gombe state stands in solidarity with the faculty and academic staff of GSU, who have embarked on an indefinite strike on Wednesday. This significant action highlights the alarming neglect of our educational institutions under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya of the APC,” Dukku alleged.
The PRO added that the APC government in the state has refused to honour the 2021 Memorandum of Action (MoA), which promised increased funding, the payment of accumulated Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and establishment of a training fund for academic staff.
Dukku also alleged that since taking office in 2019, “the APC administration has systematically undermined key educational institutions, including the five state-owned tertiary institutions in Kumo, Dukku, Billiri, Bajoga and Nafada.
The PDP, therefore, called on people of the state to hold the government accountable for its actions and demand a proactive commitment to prioritising education and public welfare over personal interests.
Responding, Governor Yahaya’s spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, described PDP’s statement as an attempt to exploit the ASUU strike for political gain.
According to him, the party is using the unfortunate development as an opportunity to rile up the people through manufactured lies and half-truths to keep children at home indefinitely, “creating storms out of a tea cup.”
Misilli added that the state government is disappointed with the ASUU over the unfortunate strike.
“Gombe state government is deeply disappointed over the decision of the ASUU to embark on an industrial action despite ongoing efforts to address key demands and the lack of proper warning, as required by standard labour and industrial relations processes,” he said.
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