ASUU to release names of resigned PhD holders in Bauchi varsity

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State has announced its intention to disclose the names of thirty PhD holders who have resigned from the institution. This announcement was made in a press release on Saturday by Awwal Hussain, the chairperson of the ASUU-SAZU branch.

Hussain’s statement came in response to comments from the university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, who criticized reports claiming that 30 PhD holders had left the university. Hussain asserted that ASUU has a verified list of the resigning staff and plans to release it at the appropriate time.

He described the university spokesman’s rejoinder as “unfortunate and misleading,” arguing that it misrepresented the union’s concerns. He highlighted a particularly troubling aspect of the response: the university’s acknowledgment of only one deceased staff member. Hussain deemed this oversight both reckless and disrespectful to the academic community and the families of other deceased colleagues.

“The union has documented at least seven academic staff members who have passed away, yet the university recognizes only one. By minimizing the contributions of late faculty members such as Dr. Abdulqadir Musa Badara from Business Administration, Maryam Zangoma from Biochemistry, and others, the message sent to current staff is disheartening. It suggests that their contributions may soon be forgotten,” he stated.

Hussain further explained that this situation could lead many ASUU members to rethink their positions at SAZU or join the over 30 academic staff who have already departed for neighboring institutions, where they believe their efforts will be better acknowledged.

He emphasized that the university’s inaccurate portrayal of deceased staff members reinforces ASUU’s claims regarding the departure of over thirty PhD holders. While the university has officially acknowledged only six resignations in less than two years, Hussain questioned how many more have actually left in recent years.

He urged journalists in the state to investigate the significant number of PhDs who have departed from the university since its establishment. Hussain criticized the university administration for dismissing the situation, stating, “It is concerning how the administration downplays the fact that even one PhD holder, trained with state resources, resigns without concern from leadership.”

He added that although faculty members often leave for positions at other universities, the lack of any staff resigning from other institutions to join SAZU highlights the inadequate working conditions at the university.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State House of Assembly has pledged to investigate the reported mass resignations of PhD holders allegedly linked to poor salaries and benefits at Sa’adu Zungur University. In a motion raised under urgent public matters by the assembly’s education committee chairman, Nasiru Ala, during Wednesday’s session, he called for the management of Sa’adu Zungur University to submit a position paper to the assembly for transparency.

Ala also requested that the state Ministry of Higher Education and Regional Integration be invited to discuss the government’s stance on these ongoing issues and the measures being taken to enhance the education sector in the state. He expressed concerns about the prolonged tenure of the university’s governing council chairman, suggesting that appointing an indigenous member could help resolve some of the challenges facing the institution, noting that all three vice-chancellors appointed have come from other universities.