ADUSTECH Rejects ASUU’s Claims, Defends Review Of Conditions of Service
By Abdullahi Yusuf
The Management of Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH), Wudil, has rejected allegations by the institution’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that the review of the University’s Conditions of Service and other governing documents was carried out through an illegal process, describing the claims as baseless, misleading and a distortion of the facts.
In a statement signed by the institution’s Head of the Information and Public Affairs Unit, Abdullahi Datti Abdullahi, the University said the review followed due process and was undertaken with the participation of representatives of all the institution’s in-house unions.
It explained that the exercise was initiated about five years ago by the 4th Governing Council, continued under the 5th Council and concluded by the current 6th Governing Council after identifying inconsistencies in the existing documents and receiving requests for their review.
According to the statement, ASUU was represented on the review committee, but that its representative automatically ceased to be a member after proceeding on sabbatical leave in line with the University’s regulations.
The Management said repeated requests for the union to nominate a replacement were ignored.
Although the representative was later reinstated following a reconsideration of the matter, ASUU subsequently directed its members not to sign the committee’s final report, a decision the University described as being contrary to established regulations, the statement said.
The statement noted that the committee’s report was subjected to a comprehensive review during a three-day retreat of the Governing Council in Kaduna, where further amendments were made before the revised documents received final approval.
“Among the major concessions approved by the Council was a significant reduction in the proportion of publication points required from Scopus- and Web of Science-indexed journals for academic promotions. Under the revised provisions, only 2.5 per cent of the total publication points is required for promotion to Associate Professor, while 5 per cent is required for promotion to Professor,” it said further.
The Management further revealed that ASUU boycotted a sensitisation meeting organised to explain the reviewed documents to staff and labour unions, “choosing instead to convene its own congress to criticise the exercise. It added that while most of the reviewed documents took effect in October 2026, implementation of provisions affecting academic staff was deferred until 2027 under a transitional moratorium.”
The University maintained that the Governing Council acted strictly within its statutory powers throughout the review process, stressing that although it possessed the legal authority to review the documents independently, it deliberately constituted a broad-based committee to promote transparency, inclusiveness and stakeholder participation.
The statement also disclosed that copies of the reviewed documents had been forwarded to the State Ministry of Education, the Office of the Head of Service and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government for their information and necessary action.
It added that despite rejecting the reviewed Conditions of Service, ASUU accepted the enhanced financial benefits contained in the revised document.
The Management urged members of the public to disregard what it described as misinformation being circulated by the union and appealed to ASUU to place the overall interest and development of the University above all other considerations.
It reaffirmed the commitment of the Governing Council, under the chairmanship of Justice Abdu Aboki, JSC, to continue discharging its statutory responsibilities in accordance with the laws and regulations governing the University while promoting excellence, fairness and sustainable institutional development.