By Ismail Auwal
Kano State Government has begged the Academic Staff Union of Institutions (ASUU) chapters at the two-state universities to end their ongoing strike.
The state government in a meeting led by the Head of Civil Service, Usman Bala Muhammad, late Tuesday evening gave the union a week to reconsider best options and reconvene.
The meeting between state government representatives and ASUU members from Yusuf Maitama Sule University (YUMSUK), Wudil, and Kano University of Science and Technology (KUST) ended in a stalemate but with a promise to reconvene in a week .
The Kano coordinator of ASUU, Abdulqadir Muhammad, said “We have told the government in clear terms that we are not coming back to tell them anything different from what we explained to them today unless if before the week runs out there’s actually a new development at the level of the union at the centre.
“Before we decided to embark on this strike, even at the centre, we know that there are consequences and our members are determined whatever the consequences, we will take them in as much as these issues have not been addressed. It’s part of the sacrifices we are making. If the government feels otherwise, it’s a choice.
“It’s not possible, we cannot even go to the national with these demands. We can’t, it’s better we tell you the truth”.
Speaking on whether the government was planning on taking action against the striking lecturers, Muhammad said there was no plan on that at the moment but the will definitely find a way if things persist.
“We can’t decide on sending people out of their job until when that is the only option. You have to engage them and make them wittingly and willingly come to terms with the employer,” he said.
