By Ismaila Uba Misilli
In its characteristic style of pandering to the gallery through subterfuge and chicanery, the Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State has jumped into ASUU Gombe State University strike discourse to weave a false narrative, distort facts and grossly mislead people.
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 to fob unsuspecting members of the public into believing that the PDP cares – a cursory gaze of which their house of cards blows into smithereens.
Speaking from both sides of its own mouth, the PDP has forgotten too soon how it ran the education system of Gombe at all levels aground.
The very dry eyed and schizophrenic PDP that 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 recless past PDP administration.
It is a sad onset of a chronic sociopathy and advanced level malevolence for a party that waxed supreme in profligacy to rise with this messianic zealousness and “holier than thou” pettiness – supporting the continued stay of students at home – a clear gesticulation of an opportunistic and desperate, self-seeking brigand.
While the government of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is working to address the imbroglio, the PDP is using the unfortunate development as an opportunity to rile up the people through manufactured lies and half-truths to keep our beloved children at home indefinitely – creating storms out of a tea cup.
Make no mistakes about it, the PDP’s grand plan is to milk this unfortunate situation when the facts clearly show how, during their time at the helm of affairs of the state, they had clinically sunk the state into the abyss of decay and backwardness.
In order to set the records straight as regards some of the issues raised by the PDP, albeit ignorantly, the GSU Dukku Campus is a better deal than the charade of a school built to waste away as no such school of nursing can be accredited where there’s no proximity to a well equipped secondary hospital. The ultramodern School of Nursing in the city of Gombe which the PDP failed to mention in its hurriedly scripted diatribe is a watershed project as far as providing skilled manpower for the functional primary and secondary healthcare facilities built or renovated by the Inuwa Yahaya government in all 114 wards of Gombe State.
The government of Governor Inuwa Yahaya has ensured adequate water supply with additional reticulation and robust water expansion projects in Gombe and environs, as opposed to PDP’s years of lopsided water supply to a paltry of privileged places in the state.
The Industrial Park, unlike PDP’s white elephant projects, has indeed attracted multi-billion naira worth of investments in the state – heralding a future of uncommon prosperity.
As regards the unfortunate ASUU strike, Gombe State Government is deeply disappointed over the decision of the Academic Staff Union to embark on an industrial action despite ongoing efforts by the state government to address key demands and the lack of proper warning, as required by standard labour and industrial relations processes.
While the government respects the right of the union to seek improvements in service conditions, it is important to highlight the steps the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has taken to address the welfare of university staff and improve the university’s overall condition. These efforts reflect the government’s genuine commitment to creating a conducive environment for learning and teaching at the GSU.
Since 2019, the government has 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 whitepaper 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.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration remains committed to supporting GSU and ensuring that the welfare of its staff and students remains a top priority. 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.
In closing, the PDP’s attempt to exploit the ASUU strike for political gain is nothing more than the desperate antics of a party grasping for relevance. The lecturers of Gombe State University and the good people of Gombe State should reject this empty noise of the opposition and align themselves with the forward-thinking leadership of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya. By working together, we can foster a brighter future for Gombe State—one built on progress, education, and shared prosperity, rather than the empty promises of a party that left our institutions in disrepair.