Danfodio varsity to disengage all contract staff – ASUU chairman

The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Sokoto chapter, Abubakar Sabo, has disclosed that the university is planning to disengage the services of all its contract, visiting and sabbatical lecturers.

DAILY NIGERIAN reports that the university might be taking the decision because it may no longer be able to fulfil its financial responsibilities on these crops of staff, following the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, IPPIS, which mandated universities to independently source for funds and cater for contracting lecturers.

Mr Sabo, who made the disclosure via his Facebook handle on Monday, noted that the current arrangement by the Nigerian Government does not favour their stay in federal universities.

According to him, most students would not be able to cope up financially, “because the tuition fees would have to be increased by the universities”.

He said: “By the time we resume, these things should not take us by surprise. Most contract, visiting and those on sabbatical will leave the university because the current arrangement does not favor for their stay in the federal universities.

“Most students would not be able to cope up financially because the tuition fees would have to be increased by the universities in order for them to be able to cope up with those responsibilities (casual staff, supervision allowance, external assessment, part time allowance, contract appointment, external examination etc) which the FG has taken off its hands from funding those critical elements.

“Arising from the present experience which is associated with the trauma of stoppage of salary, cutting of salary, removal from payroll, intimidation from the AGF office, withholding of allowances and arrears payable, most of us who are still young and energetic would leave the teaching system and look for other greener pastures where the service would be more safer and secured.

“Most universities, faculties and departments especially the newly established ones would have to close because those who visit to establish them have been discouraged by the antics of the government and its agents.