By Mukhtar Yahya Usman

The management of the Kano University of Science and Technology Wudil (KUST) has reacted angrily to accusations of financial misconduct, poor funding and students’ welfare labelled on it by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

KANO FOCUS reports that members of ASUU at the KUST had threatened to embark on an all-out strike by March 2020 unless the varsity’s authorities address various issues including alleged poor funding, financial misappropriation and attempt to raise students’ registration fees.

In a joint statement issued on Thursday, the ASUU-KUST branch Chairman, Comrade Muhammad Sani Gaya and Secretary Comrade Murtala Muhammad said the poor funding of the university is adversely affecting the running of the university resulting to inadequate offices and laboratories.

The ASUU-KUST also accused the university’s leadership of misapplying over N200 million to purchase exotic cars while failing to renovate a female hostel block that was destroyed by fire in February 2019.

The lecturers also alleged plans by the KUST authorities to increase registration fees for undergraduate students “despite lack of accountability in the funds generated in previous students’ registration as externally audited financial reports were not presented before the university council within the last few years in violation of the university law and services rendered”.

The ASUU further alleged that “persistent under-funding of the university by the Kano state government”.

“The union noted that for a long time the state virtually left the provision of needed infrastructure of the university to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TeTFund),” the statement said.

However, in its reaction, the KUST management dismissed the allegations, insisting that the university is being funded by the Kano state government, while also justifying the purchase of vehicles for the institution’s principal officers.

This was contained in a statement sent to KANO FOCUS by the head of Information and Public Relations Unit of the University Sa’idu Abdullahi Nayaya.

“The University management will like to categorically state that Kano state government as proprietor of the university has been making releases of funds of N774 Million for accreditation, the prompt payment of salaries and wages of staff of N2.6 Billion annually as well, undertook other developmental projects,” the statement read.

On the issue of the burnt Dangote female hostel block, the university said it had provided an alternative hostel accommodation to cater for the teeming students in the affected building.

“The University Management has also purchased laboratory equipment worth millions of naira for use during practical’s and makes periodic releases of funds to departments, directorates and other units of the university.

“On the issue of procurement of vehicles for the Principal Officers, they were purchased in accordance with the laid down rules and guidelines as approved by the University Governing Council.

“Meanwhile, the University Management has made payments of most of the claims of the members of staff on the availability of funds (for instance N198 Million as Postgraduate Research Grant to Academic staff, N200 Million as Hazard Allowance for Non-teaching staff), hence it is noteworthy that the research grant for academic staff was fully paid on Monday 27th, January 2020.

“On the alleged attempt by the University to increase registration fees, we would like to categorically state that fees are not static, but subject to review, as such, it is in that direction that the Senate of the University approved for the review of fees charged (between N21,500 and N23,200) by the University which is the lowest compared to all other universities in the country,” the statement added.