Stopasuustuike – The unfinished tasks of Yayale

Tuesday 27 May 2025, I glimpsed Alhaji Yayale Ahmed and I even tightened my hand. The warning by the Asuu on the industrial action of the week before came to mind, remembering me the arduous Yayale tasks. I could imagine the heavy burden placed in this elderly statesman from the day he was appointed to face two demanding Herculean responsibilities: guiding the government’s delegation to resolve the FGN-Asuu crisis of a duration and preside over the Zaria government council and its pro-changing.

However, I was surprised to see him relaxed and cheerful, and I concluded that our prayers for his success, as the main parties concerned, together with his technocracy and his tireless determination, are producing positive results. However, it has not yet finished until it is completely done, as it almost cannot kill a bird. Asuu members are restless and impatiently await their improved remuneration package.

During his assignment as Pro-Cancelliere of Abu Zaria, Yayale deserves a thumb and up for his excellent performance in Midwifing the new deputy chancellor for the university in the freer, transparent and fair trial, which led to the selection of the most respected and adorable personality from a competition in the 14 candidates.

So far, this apparently simple process, unfortunately, has consumed the presidency of the late Mallam Adamu Chiroma and that of ENGR. Bunu Shariff Musa, who were all appointed at different times to preside over Abu Zaria’s government council and serve as a chancellor in favor of the University.

Both have resigned due to circumstances outside their control. Until their disappearance, they probably regretted having accepted their appointments. With a divine guide, a solid intention and without a hidden agenda, Yayale has come to the admiration of all friends and supporters of Abu lovers of peace, in an exceptional way. Even university enemies could not help but greet the performance of this elderly statesman.

The new Leadership has taken on the university administration from the previous administration, whose trajectory has been dislocated. From 2015 to 2020, the university was on a progress path; The phase two site was commissioned with a donation of 10 blocks of student hostels for more than n2 billion from dance. The construction of access roads, bridges and various other infrastructure and intellectual results have also been recorded.

However, from 2020 to the first quarter of 2025, the progress of the university slowed down, even stopped at a certain point, mainly due to the Pandemic and recurring Covid-19 industrial actions by university workers. The most worrying aspect was the attitude of university leadership, which did not learn from history. Instead of being grateful for the rarest opportunity to serve, the leadership has undertaken revenge, establishing the scores against enemies and individuals perceived considered unfair. Driving a university like Abu is a colossal responsibility that can hardly be managed even in the best conditions, not to speak when natural catastrophes, industrial actions and self -induced revenge prevail. The result is disastrous as you can imagine.

Today marks a new dawn for Abu under the guidance of Prof. Adamu Ahmed, a man of destiny who miraculously deceived the death from the skin of his teeth when, in 2012, he was hit by armed thieves, with a fragment of the bullet that passed through his body and that made him bleed for hours. He survived Calvary and now tackles the challenge of driving Abu along a glorious trajectory to recover his esteem for an estimate as the best university in sub-Saharan Africa. Fortunately, Prof. Adamu is an affable personality that enjoys everyone’s goodwill and does not bring excess baggage.

Adamu is facing two titanic challenges: the lack of funds caused by inadequate funding for university education, aggravated by the last minute expenses by the previous administration. The second challenge is the electricity bill, which has reached over N300 million per month.

Who will help him? The former students can play a key role in saving the situation, since the main Abu graduates are present in every sector, both in Nigeria and abroad. Recently, I had the opportunity to meet the head of the defense staff (CDS), General Christopher Musa, who proudly informed me of being an Abu pupil. While leaving his office, one of the best soldiers of the CDS grabbed my hand with a radiant smile and said: “Lord, I am also a proud graduate of the mass communication department of Great Abu Zaria”. I was really excited to see these best military officers pride with the university. Alumni Abu, to you at this time of the critical need of the University. To add to the challenge, the VC has given you the task of generating N5 billion for university equipment in the next five years. Mallam Adamu Kontagora, president of the former students, with the support of Prof. Ahmed Mora, former president, can squeeze water from the rock. Please give Abu a truce in this financial emergency.

The unfinished task for Yayale is to keep Prof. Adamu and his team on tiptoe until all the resources available to consolidate Abu in the most cosmopolitan fertile ground for nationalists and intellectuals, as required by its founding fathers. The diligent Yayale is more than able to do the task. May the omnipotent see them through; amen.

The second unfinished task is guiding the government’s delegation to resolve the FGN-Asuu crisis, a long and too hard. It is more difficult than the first.

The task entailed the revision of the FGN-Asuu agreement of 2009. Between 2021 and 2022, the FGG set up two subsequent negotiation committees. The first committee was led by Prof. Munzali Jibrin, who tirelessly negotiated Asuu for several consecutive months and has produced a global relationship with recommendations to resolve in a sustainable and permanently resolved challenges in the university system in a sustainable way. For inexplicable reasons, the report has been discarded. The FGG has set up a new negotiation committee (without regard for Munazali’s report), under the deceased Prof. Brigg, emeritus professor of obstetrics and gynecology.

Likewise, the Brigg Committee has done an excellent job and presented a well -made relationship for the sustainable resolution of the university crisis. However, the Hawks in the FGN were not interested in resolving the situation and put pressure on the government to discard the relationship. In 2023, a change in the government pushed the formation of the Yayale team in October 2024 to face controversial issues within three months. Since then the team has completed its assignment, but is awaiting the government’s response for further actions.

This is the most critical phase in the resolution of the Fng-Asuu crisis, which requires diligent and careful management of Yayale to prevent the growing crisis. On Friday 23 May 2025, President Asuu, Prof. Chris Piwuna, turned to a press conference in Abuja, where he said that “the union was frustrated by the government’s inability to resolve nine critical issues that have plagued the public universities of Nigeria for a long time”.

At this stage, it is only the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, patriot and full statesman, who can save the situation. During his election campaign, President Tinubu promised to put an end to Asuu’s perennial attacks for improving the system. Now it is an opportunity to keep that promise.

Mr. President, Lord, the need to improve the salaries of academic staff cannot be overrated.

There are two distressing stories of trendy professors: a professor engages in small negotiations, selling tomatoes, peppers and onions to integrate his thin salary for survival. Another professor is looking for n13 million donations to cover medical expenses. At the same time, yet another other died because the financial assistance of friends and collaborators was too small and came too late to alleviate his illness. This is a shameful narrative for academics in Nigeria and President Tinubu can change it for the better. May God give him the wisdom and the political will to do it, amen.

As a key stakeholder in the Nigeria educational system, I am passionate about the president to accelerate the release and implementation of the Yayale negotiation report to stop the decay of university education. As mentioned by Piwuna, “Education authorizes citizens, guides innovation and infuses values. Without it, development is impossible and our universities should be centers for solutions to national challenges”. Yes, as repeatedly written in this column, “without solid university education, the nation is condemned to remain in abject poverty, squalor and tumultuous social crisis for self -inflicted lesions”. Certainly, the dangerous insurrection crimes and bandits we are witnessing today have their roots in the lack of education.

Finally, I invite all men and women of good conscience to pray and support Yayale in completing its unfinished tasks, so that the university system can progress in an enviable position in Africa, indeed, in the world.