By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Gombe State Government has described the State’s PDP support to the ongoing strike action embarked upon by lecturers of the State owned University as the deception of a desperate, lying opposition.
Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, while reacting to the State PDP’s support of the strike action embarked by the Gombe State University (GSU) Chapter of ASUU, said the opposition party’s tantrums is a false narrative full of distorted facts purposely meant to grossly mislead the public.
Lecturers under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in GSU, embarked on an indefinite strike action early last week over some unpaid welfare benefits that had lasted for some years.
The Gombe State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in a release made available to newsmen shortly after the commencement of the strike, berated the Inuwa Yahaya led State Government for failing to meet the demands of the lecturers leading to the strike actions amidst other allegations.
But reacting to the PDP’s accusations, Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s media aid expressed surprise that the PDP had suddenly regained it’s voice. Misilli said, “After losing its voice for several years because of the good governance and sterling successes recorded by the Inuwa Yahaya administration across all sectors, the PDP has suddenly turned eloquent at the smell of trouble”.
He also expressed suprise that the PDP Government which left 950 million naira backlog in Gombe State University staff’s entitlements, has suddenly taken the garb of a jury, judge and executioner to call for the ‘lynching’ of the Inuwa Yahaya Government that defrayed liabilities inherited from the reckless past PDP administration.
He said, Gombe State Government became deeply disappointed over the decision of the Academic Staff Union to embark on an industrial action without proper warning as required by standard labour and industrial relations process despite ongoing efforts by Government to address key demands.
According to the media aid, while the Government respects the right of the union to seek improvement in service conditions, it is important to highlight the steps Governor Inuwa Yahaya had taken to address the welfare of university staff and improve the university’s overall condition.
He said, “Since 2019, the Government had tackled inherited challenges, including the long-standing issue of delayed monthly subventions, which had led to staff waiting 40 to 60 days for their salaries.
“Under Governor Inuwa Yahaya, this issue has been resolved, and GSU staff have consistently been receiving salaries promptly, making the institution one of the few state-owned universities not lagging behind in salary payments.
“In 2021, the Government reduced the tax burden on university staff, resulting in a significant increase in monthly take-home pay for both academic and non-academic personnel.
“This was done to reverse the excessive taxation imposed by the previous PDP administration, a move that has undoubtedly boosted staff morale.
“Also, the Inuwa Yahaya administration settled the N250 million backlog of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) left unpaid by the previous administration.
“Just last week, the State Executive Council approved the disbursement of over N265 million to clear all pending promotion arrears for the university staff.
“The Government is also proud of its decision in 2022 to prevent any increase in tuition fees despite widespread hikes across other state and federal universities.
“This was done to reduce the financial burden on students and their families during tough economic times, a gesture that was publicly appreciated by the Gombe State Students’ Association and parents alike.
“Furthermore, the Inuwa Yahaya administration established a visitation panel to identify the challenges facing GSU. The panel’s findings have been submitted, and a white-paper committee has been formed, with the Government currently reviewing its recommendations to ensure the university’s continued progress.
“Further demonstrating its commitment, the administration is launching a N10 billion Endowment Fund to strengthen the university’s funding.
“His Excellency has personally reached out to distinguished Nigerians and philanthropists to contribute to this cause, showing the state’s commitment to improving the university’s financial standing.
“This union indeed took the Government aback when it declared a strike without recourse to the standing committee on negotiations headed by the Deputy Governor, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau.
“The Government expected the respected body of scholars to toe the path of wisdom by registering their grievances to the appropriate quarters instead of washing the linen in full glare of the public, creating wild media sensationalism and disinformation that should have been avoided.
“Government remains committed to tertiary education development as witnessed by huge investments in the sector which Gombe State University is a direct beneficiary – with Dukku Campus, Ultra modern College of Nursing among others also.
“As a mark of respect for the GSU lecturers, it is worth noting that even when they participated in the solidarity strike alongside their colleagues, the Government did not withhold their wages for the duration of the strike, despite other places implementing a no work, no pay policy.
“With these strides in place, it is unfortunate that ASUU has chosen to go on strike at a time when students and their families are already grappling with the economic challenges facing the nation.
“The government calls on ASUU GSU to reconsider its decision and return to the negotiating table in the best interest of the students, who are the primary victims of this strike. The lecturers should think more about the future of students than pecuniary gains.
“The Government reiterates its openness to dialogue and urges all stakeholders to work together to resolve the issues, as education and the future of Gombe State’s youth must remain the collective focus”, the DG Press explained.
He said it was unfortunate that while Government was working to address the imbroglio, the PDP takes the strike action as an opportunity to rile up the people through manufactured lies and half-truths to keep Gombe children at home indefinitely thus, “creating storms out of a tea cup”.
