The Governor of Abia State, Dr Alex Otti, OFR, has pledged to tackle the problems facing the Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, and make it a model for other higher institutions in Nigeria.
He made this promise on Tuesday, when he received the executives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ABSU Chapter, led by the Zonal Coordinator (ASUU National), Calabar Zone, Dr. Happiness Uduak, at the Government House, Umuahia.
The ASUU leaders expressed their gratitude to the Governor for his interest in their welfare and for paying their salaries and other entitlements promptly since he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
They also seized the opportunity to list some of the other challenges facing the University and its academic staff, which they said predated the current administration, and appealed to the Governor to use his good office and intervene.
Some of the issues raised by the ASUU executives include inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, lack of research grants, non-implementation of promotion arrears, and non-remittance of third party deductions.
The Governor thanked the ASUU leaders for their visit and commended them for their dedication and professionalism in delivering quality education to the students of ABSU.
READ ALSO: Alex Otti Inaugurates Abia Global Economic Advisory Council
He assured them that his government would look into their demands and work out modalities to address them in a timely and sustainable manner.
He also urged them to continue to cooperate with his administration and support its efforts to transform the education sector in the state.
He said his vision was to make ABSU a world-class university that would attract students and scholars from within and outside the country.
He said he was committed to improving the welfare and working conditions of the academic staff and providing them with the necessary facilities and resources to enhance their productivity and performance.