From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has given assurance that the five – month industrial dispute by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) would soon be over.
The governor spoke, Tuesday, when he received the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), who staged a solidarity protest to the Government House, Kano.
He stressed that as governors, they were equally disturbed by the prolonged strike which had crippled academic activities in the various universities across the land, adding that he would personally convey the petitions of the protesters to the Ministry of Education and take all the necessary steps for an end to the dispute.
While highlighting the importance of education, especially higher education, he stressed that, “This crisis must be resolved to help save the system. We don’t want the system collapse.
Ganduje who sympathized with the lecturers over their unpaid salaries, regretted that the current misunderstanding was inherited from the previous administration, had lasted for so long and must be resolved soonest.
He thanked the Nigeria Labour Congress and the security agents in the state for the peaceful demonstration in the state.
The Chairman of the Kano branch of Nigeria Labour Congress, Kabiru Ado Minjibir asked for the release of the salaries of the University lecturers as well as the resolution of the issues in contention
The protest rally was attended by various stakeholders including students bodies, ASUU, civil society groups, youth organisations among others.