• Mull Mobilising Members to Sue KAEDCO, Varsity for Subjecting them to Physical, Psychological trauma, Causing Them material loss
• Challenge The Varsity’s Army of Engineers to Partner With The Mgt on How to Device Alternative Source of Energy
• As ASUU Calls for Calm, Aggrieved Lecturers Chide the Union for Always Sitting on the Fence on Serious Matters that Concern it’s Members
• ABU SRC Berates KAEDCO, Says, It Lacks Consideration for Customers, Bill Outrageous
By Waziri Isa Adam
A cross section of concerned and aggrieved Lecturers of Ahmadu Bello University Zaria have faulted the University management’s alleged refusal to pay the Kaduna Electric Distribution Company (KAEDCO), at least, monies realized from the sale of light to staff that live in the University’s Quarters, a situation that prompted KAEDCO to disconnect power supply in the Institution, thereby plunging the University Community into total darkness and subjecting them to physical, psychological trauma, and causing them multiple material loss.
The concerned and aggrieved Lecturers who spoke to Education Monitor in separate interactions expressed disappointment over KAEDCO’s and the University’s insensitivity and lack of compassion for it’s staff and students in this holy and fasting month of Ramadan, when demands for light and water are sacrosanct.
Even though the KAEDCO’S bill is unbelievably outrageous, the Aggrieved Lecturers wondered why the University Management, on its side, should withold monies of light sold to them at exhorbitant rates, stressing that no lecturer living in the University house buys less than N20,000 worth of light monthly.
The Lecturers who unanimously opined that they started suspecting Foul Play and insincerity in the light business right from the time cost of units of light was jacked up in the University by 100% , to the way and manner N80m – N100m is said to be allegedly remitted monthly to the company supplying the main light to the university.
They suggested that if the University finds it difficult to meet the glaringly exploitative conditions of KAEDCO, it should look elsewhere for an affordable source of electricity to avoid this kind of nauseating embarrassment and untold hardship members of the University’s Community have been thrown into.
“Or, alternatively if the University still wants to continue doing business with KAEDCO, under the present bulkmetring arrangements, it should derelict the third party role it is playing to enable staff buy their light directly from the Company.
“This will absolve the management from any right or wrong suspicion of foul Play in the future, and it will also save the Lecturers from bearing the burden, or paying an imposed price of the management’s inability to offset it’s bills”, they opined.
The Lecturers have also threatened to mobilise other concerned Colleagues, especially those who, disconnection of the light has caused them different degrees of untold hardship, which included subjecting them to Physical, Psychological trauma, and different material loss, to take legal action against the duo of KAEDCO and the University Management.
“Some of us who managed to stoke our fridges with different food items and other needs of the family, such as drugs, that should take us up to the end of the Ramadan period, have lost virtually everything as a result of lack of light”, they lamented.
The University Dons challenged the plethora, but underproductive, or underutilized Engineers in the University to reach out to the University management to partner with them on how to generate independent and alternative source of electricity for the University, which if successful, they can also sale to deserving neighbouring Institutions to generate more money for the University.
Worried by the unusual silence of the Institution’s branch of Academic staff Union of Universities, on very important issues that concern it’s members, such as the light controversy, the concerned Lecturers chided the Union for choosing to sit on the fence, most of the times, when it should be leading the struggle to fight for the welfare of it’s fellow Comrades.
Even though, the Union has belatedly issued a statement, signed by the Chairman, Dr Haruna Muhammad Jibrin, appealing to members to be calm on the situation, assuring that the Union was on top of the situation, as it has commenced wading into the matter with the hope of immediate resolution.
Meanwhile the Ahmadu Bello University Students Representative Council has berated KAEDCO for it’s outrageous bill and for lacking good customer relations.
Lending his voice to the KAEDCO/ABU Fiasco, the Chairman ABU SRC, Welfare and Price Regulation Committee, Comrade Maikudi Kàfur accused KAEDCO for harbouring sinister motives against the University.