Taraba ASUU strike: Do not sacrifice  students – Ex-VC urges govt to honour agreement

Former Vice-Chancellor of Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, Professor Muhammad Sani Yahaya, has urged the Taraba State Government to honour its agreement with the university to end the indefinite strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Yahaya, who expressed concern over the industrial action, described the development as unfortunate and detrimental to students’ academic progress.

In a statement issued on Thursday by his Personal Assistant on Media, Aminu Hamisu Yusuf, the former vice-chancellor attributed the escalation of the dispute to the reported failure of the state government to fulfil an agreement reached with the university management earlier this year.

“The development was a serious setback that could have been avoided. Students should not continue to bear the consequences of unresolved disagreements between the government and university authorities,” Yahaya said.

He called on the state government to take urgent steps to honour its commitments and initiate meaningful dialogue with the university management and ASUU leadership to resolve the dispute.

He also urged all parties to prioritise students’ interests by ensuring that examinations were completed and the university’s academic calendar concluded without further disruption.

“Education should be treated as a fundamental responsibility of government rather than a political promise,” Yahaya maintained.

The former university administrator urged the present administration to take immediate and concrete measures to resolve the dispute and restore normal academic activities at the institution.

“Students deserve uninterrupted learning, lecturers deserve fair treatment, and the state needs an education system capable of meeting the aspirations of its people,” he stressed.