ASUU raises alarm over alleged embezzlement, financial misappropriation at KUST, Wudil

Academic Staff Union of Universities, Kano University of Science and Technology (ASUU-KUST), Wudil, has raised alarm over alleged embezzlement and financial misappropriation by the institution management.

It said over the years the registration fees collected from the students were squandered and misapplied.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by KUST Wudil, ASUU branch Chairman, Muhammad Sani Gaya and Secretary, Murtala Muhammad and forwarded to Solacebase on Tuesday.

According to the statement, the union disapprove the use of any component of  student registration fees to offset a loan facility of  N200m  with 10% interest utilized in procuring eight (8) exotic vehicles.

Solacebase reports that the release said the exotic vehicles were purchased for the former Pro-Chancellor of the university, Barr. A.B Mahmoud SAN and other principal officers.

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‘’The procurement violated section 16 subsection (1), section 24, section 25 and section 42 of the Public Procurement Act 2007 and Kano State Appropriation Law 2019, ‘’the statement said.

‘’The students who went for SIWES in 2020/2021 session were not given Log book for daily record of the experiences gained, despite collecting N 500 for the Log book and N 3000 for SIWES/TP in the registration fees.

‘’The students paid N3000 as internet service charges; however, the internet service has become history in the university. There is also inadequate supply of pharmaceutical drugs and other medical facilities despite collecting fees from the students, the statement alleged.

‘’The students are made to enroll into non-functional health insurance scheme. Salary arrears of Staff ranging from one to three months not paid and the irony is that their pension contributions for the said period were deducted.’’

‘’Misappropriation/Misapplication of funds has become a norm with the university authority. To this effect, the university authority has diverted over N 352 Million of staff pension contributions in gross violation of section 11 subsection 3 (b) and 70(2) of the pension reform Act 2014 and section 7(2) of Kano state pension and gratuity Law.’’

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‘’Furthermore, the taxes deducted from the staff salaries have not been fully remitted to Kano Internal Revenue Service (KIRS). It became so  embarrassing that the KIRS had to drag the university to Tax Appeal Tribunal in Kaduna after what they described as the nonchalant attitude of the university authority to respond to the KIRS correspondences on the unremitted tax deductions.’’

This singular action has already tarnished the good image of the University as a corporate entity.

The union is strongly calling on the university authority to immediately address the aforementioned issues to avoid industrial dispute