Bayero University Kano ( BUK) has rolled out measures to ameliorate the harsh economic situation occasioned by the recent removal of fuel subsidy within the university communities.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Professor Sagir Abbas, disclosed this while addressing members of the BUK 56th congregation on Saturday at the BUK New Site.
The congregation, chaired by the VC, is a yearly gathering of university graduate employees where issues that affect the institution are discussed.
Prof. Abbas informed the congregants that BUK has allocated millions of Naira to the University Cooperatives Committee to purchase food stuffs and distribute to staff on a non-interest basis payable in six months.
He revealed that the university management has concluded an arrangement with the BUK Microfinance Bank to provide interest-free loans to staff to pay the school fees of their children.
He noted that the university would pay for the interest to cushion the effect of the increment of registration fees recently announced by the university.
According to the Vice Chancellor, staff can access soft loans at any time and will be revolving so that staff who face financial challenges can have money at any time they want.
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The university administrator further noted that BUK would waive eight months of house rent to staff occupying the university’s houses.
In the same vein, Prof. Abbas disclosed they are in touch with the Kano State government to provide buses that would shuttle students to the university from certain locations in Kano Metropolitan City at affordable fares.
According to him, vehicles would be allocated to transport staff to and from the university for those living outside the university to address transport challenges for the staff.
The Vice-Chancellor said the university is negotiating to purchase of bicycles to help cushion the effect of a hike in transportation fares on the junior staff.
“On many occasions, I witnessed staff trekking from Old Campus to New Campus, a distance of almost 10 kilometres,” he said.
