No fewer than 30 PhD holders have resigned from Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) over poor pay and mismanagement.
Speaking at the university’s Yuli Campus on Friday, the zonal coordinator of ASUU, Bauchi Zone, Namo Timothy, raised alarms about the institution’s deepening crisis due to inadequate staff welfare and mismanagement.
He warned that SAZU, a state-owned university, is in a critical state and called on the Bauchi State government to declare a state of emergency.
Timothy further cautioned that without urgent intervention, the ASUU Bauchi Zone could no longer ensure industrial peace between its members and the university administration.
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“The zone has engaged key stakeholders and exchanged numerous correspondences in an attempt to resolve these issues, but to no avail,” he said.
He lamented that staff at SAZU lack both pension and death benefit schemes, which are standard in public service regulations across Nigeria.
According to Timothy, the university owes its staff over ₦650 million in Earned Academic Allowances and Excess Workload Allowances, dating back to 2012.
He also condemned the appointment of a Higher National Diploma (HND) holder as the university’s bursar, in violation of the institution’s regulations, which mandate a minimum of a first degree for the role.
This decision, he stated, has demoralized staff and contributed to the resignation of many, including 30 PhD holders who have left for better opportunities.
The zonal coordinator also urged the state government and university administration to implement a comprehensive exit policy that provides pension and death benefits for staff.