The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), in Kano state-owned institutions, has rejected the position of the government to pull out of the nationwide indefinite strike action.

Instead, ASUU insisted it would remain steadfast and fully committed to the national struggle to revitalise public universities and improve the welfare of members until the Federal Government met her demands.

Rising from an emergency meeting at the instance of delegation of the state government, headed by Head of Service, Alh. Usman Bala, ASUU Zonal Chairman, Kano zone, Professor Abdulkadir Mohammad Danbazau, vowed to bear any consequences that might follow their stand.

“We have made our position known to the government in clear terms and our position will never change. That we are committed to the course of the strike as full chartered members of ASUU. And until the Federal Government attended to our agreement, we would not be forced to pull out of the strike.

“Let me also say that ASUU in Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology Wudil, has secured permission to embark on an indefinite strike after the nationwide action to press home demand for resolution of local issues,” Danbazau said.

On whether the union would rethink her position, he insisted no amount of dialogue with the government would change their position.

The state government had summoned another meeting with the leadership of ASUU to prevail on them on reasons why the union should pull out of the over six months strike.

Addressing journalists at the end of the four hours meeting, the head of the service, Bala disclosed that the engagement with ASUU was fruitful, but was not sure whether or not they agreed to pull out of the strike.

Bala, who doubles as Chief of Staff to Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, appealed to the striking lecturers from Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil and the Yusuf Maitama Sule University, to consider the plight of students and the negative implications of keeping them out of the classroom.

The head of the service had declared that ASUU in the state universities shouldn’t have aligned with lecturers in the Federal government-owned universities, since the Kano State government has sustained their salaries and other allowances in the last six months.

“We had a fruitful discussion and we were made to understand the many reasons why they are on strike. Although they said they also have local issues, I know the government has been paying their salaries and earned allowances in the last six months while on strike.

“We persuaded them to return to work, however, they said they can hardly make decisions on their own, meaning they have to seek the intervention of the larger body. So, the meeting is scheduled to reconvene in one week to finalize all the pending issues,” Bala noted.

On what alternative measures are available to the government should ASUU remain insisted on continuing with the industrial action, the head of the service noted that the government would not hesitate to invoke necessary sanctions after exploring all peaceful resolution mechanisms.