Confusion reigned on Wednesday at Bayero University Kano as students of the institution were forced out of examination halls by the Senior Staff Academic Union (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) due to their ongoing strike action.
On Wednesday, most of the students were already in the exam hall when both unions shut down all the gates leading to BUK, preventing students who were already in the exam hall from writing the exam.
The warning strike action severely disrupted academic activities at the institution.
Addressing the press on the issue, the Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of SSANU/NASU, Mustapha Aminu, stated that they shut down the institution to press home their demands.
“As you are aware, we have decided to embark on a seven-day warning strike as directed nationally. Today is the first day, so we decided to hold this peaceful demonstration,” he said.
He added, “The school is already completely shut down. There is 100 per cent compliance from the members.”
Aminu also disclosed, “We also have our children as students. I have two of my children at the university. So, as the National President has said, if you have not paid our salary, how will I pay the school fees of my children? I’m also a father and have my children at the university.”
He further revealed, “We are going to hold another [protest] on Friday.”
It was reported that the institution was later reopened after two hours.
Commenting on the development, ASSU Chairman Prof. Ibrahim Siraj stated that the protest did not affect exams because he invigilated exams around 2:30 p.m.
He added that they have the right to protest against whatever they deem necessary, and their protest was against the government, not the school management.
However, he emphasised that the union does not have the right to stop students from writing exams.
Normal examinations were conducted, and students were writing their respective examinations at the scheduled times.
Students who missed exams were those expected to sit for exams within the period the protest was carried out.
All efforts made to reach BUK’s spokesman, Alhaji Lamara Garba, regarding the development were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
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