The management of Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) in Bauchi State has denied reports that 30 PhD holders have resigned from the institution.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Auwal Hassan, issued a statement on Sunday, countering claims made by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Naijaonpoint reports that ASUU had earlier announced that over 30 PhD holders, who are union members at SAZU, had resigned, citing dissatisfaction with the university’s salary structure.
This was revealed by the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Bauchi Zone, Namo Timothy, during a press conference held at the Yuli Campus of the university on Friday.
However, Hassan dismissed these allegations, describing them as inaccurate and unfounded.
He clarified that the university has not received any resignation letters from the alleged 30 PhD holders or any significant number of academic staff for salary-related reasons.
“The university has not received any resignation letter from the purported 30 PhD holders or any significant number of academic staff.
“Our record shows that only six PhD, have exited or are away from the university in the past 1 year and 10 months of the tenure of this administration, citing various personal reasons not related to salary concerns,” Hassan stated.
He also provided details on the current staff situation, explaining that some academic staff are on sabbatical leave, secondment, or leave of absence, while others were dismissed due to disciplinary actions.
According to the statistics provided, SAZU has a total of 397 academic staff, which includes 18 Professors, 9 Readers, 57 Senior Lecturers, 113 Lecturer I, 47 Lecturer II, 76 Assistant Lecturers, and 77 Graduate Assistants.
“The university, through the support of the Bauchi state governor Bala Mohammed, has consistently prioritized the welfare and development of its staff, including academic staff, and has implemented various initiatives to enhance their working conditions.
“This involves timely salary payment and other financial benefits,” he added.
Hassan pointed out that since December 2022, the university’s leadership has made sure that numerous academic staff have been promoted on time, with all relevant promotion arrears being fully addressed.