The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete branch has attributed inability of its members to participate in the ongoing industrial action to some peculiar challenges the body is going through.
The refusal to join the strike by the KWASU chapter had generated ripples within the academic circles.
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However, the branch expressed support for the ongoing warning strike declared by its national body.
The chairman of the KWASU chapter of ASUU, Dr Shehu Salahu, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.
He called on the Federal Government to do the needful let the strike end in the overall interest of the country.
Salahu sought the understanding of the national leadership of ASUU on the peculiarity of the union branch in the university.
According to him, the KWASU branch, currently on observer status, is following the trend and the efforts of the national ASUU to resolve the matter before the federal government.
He said, “As a young branch just admitted into the fold, KWASU has challenges owing to our funding status of zero subvention for about seven years ago.
“The branch relies on internally generated revenue (IGR) as well as loans from banks to run the university. This situation is detrimental in no small measure to the system. KWASU is relatively a new branch and our members are gradually being initiated into the ASUU philosophy, tradition and procedures.
“The national ASUU has been fully briefed about our peculiar situation and had directed the Ibadan zone of ASUU to intervene and advise on how we can overcome the situation in our university.
“Our branch has acted on the advice of the zone and had communicated to the Vice Chancellor, the Governing Council, the Honourable Commissioner for Tertiary Education and the Visitor, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.”
He added, “We are awaiting the outcome of the communication with the relevant authorities and will brief the zonal and national body of ASUU accordingly of developments.
“ASUU is on the ground in KWASU and as directed by the national executive, we have convened an emergency congress to brief members on developments in the last executive meeting held on Sunday, 13th March, 2022 to review the warning strike.”
