The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, branch has urged the management of the university to withdraw the academic certificate issued to the Kaduna State Governor, Malam Nasiru El-Rufai.
The union said this is necessary because many of his actions are in contravention of the requirements in character and learning deemed worthy of ABU degree award.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the branch Chairman of ASUU ABU Zaria, Harun Jibril, and Secretary, Hussein Abdullahi as part of the resolution after a congress meeting held on Wednesday.
The union said it deliberated over the attempt by Gov. Nasiru El-Rufai to illegally and forcefully take over lands belonging to the institution, a federal government citadel of learning despite a court order restraining him from doing so.
The statement read in part,‘’ The ASUU-ABU branch at its congress meeting of 2nd March 2022 deliberated on the matter of the attempt by Nasiru El-Rufai, the executive Governor of Kaduna State to illegally and forcefully and in utter disregard of an order by a competent court of law, take over lands belonging to the Ahmadu Bello University, an institution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a historic and premier university.’’
The union also resolved to visit the Mando College of Agriculture and Animal Science where the lands are to register its protest over the illegal land seizure.
The Abusites reports that ASUU ABU Zaria chapter had earlier threatened to sue Governor Nasir El-Rufai if he goes ahead with his plan to “illegally” take the university’s land at Mando, Kaduna.
Recall that the ongoing urbanization of Kaduna city through Governor Nasir el-Rufai’s urban renewal program has marked a large chunk of land belonging to the Ahmadu Bello University’s College of Agriculture and Animal Science (CAAS), Mando, Kaduna for reclaiming.
Despite a court order dated 18th January 2022 restraining the government and its agencies from encroaching the College land, the agencies have moved in, demolished the school fence, and started clearing the land.
The court order made available to Journalists stated categorically that the Kaduna State government and its agencies should restrain, from trespassing, entering, and or carrying out any action on the said land.
The Order signed by the Registrar of the Kaduna State High Court, Zaria Division, Jafaru Ibrahim, stated that the order shall subsist pending the determination of the Motion on Notice already filed along with the Writs of Summons and Statement of Claim.
“An interim order is granted in favour of the Plaintiff/ Applicant against the Defendants, restraining Defendants, their servants, agents and privies from further entering, further trespassing and/or purportedly excising the Plaintiff’s land covering 196.258 hectares situate at College of Agriculture and Animal Science (Mando), Ahmadu Bello University, specifically described by a Survey Sketch Plan and Satellite Imagery.”
According to the Provost of the college, Dr. Hassan Hamidu, the demolition of the fence by the Kaduna State Government has exposed the College, Staff, and Students to security threats considering the ravaging kidnapping and Banditry in the area.
He said, “in 2012, a committee headed by the then Comptroller Works and Housing, was set up to demarcate the land between the College of Agriculture and Federal Ministry of Agriculture, while submitting its reports in 2014, the committee advised the Mando College to fence its entire boundary to prevent further encroachment, which was duly carried out and has been serving as a grazing area for the college’s livestock.”
Speaking to newsmen in Zaria, the ASUU ABU Chairman stated that despite the fencing, attempts were made to take the land from the college under a different guise.
“The Ministry of Works and Housing approached the authorities of ABU to give parts of the land to the ministry, which was denied.”
“Thereafter, they claimed that a portion of the fenced area was a portion of their land seven years after demarcation of which was established to be false.
“And then, Kaduna Geographic and Information Service, KADGIS, attempted to carry out a survey and demarcate plots of land within the fenced area, which the college resisted”.
“Let me reiterate that ASUU, ABU Chapter shall never rest until this matter is resolved in favor of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria,” he assured.
Journalists on a tour of the college saw bulldozers demolishing the fence and clearing the land that was used for students’ practicals.
