Gombe: PDP Criticizes Gov Yahaya Over ASUU Strike

• The Gombe PDP accuses the APC administration of neglecting education, leading to a strike at Gombe State University
• The party claims the government has weakened educational institutions and failed to fulfill a 2021 Memorandum of Action

The Gombe State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed strong disapproval of the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led administration in the state’s neglect of the education sector. In a statement by the party’s Public Relations Officer, Abdulkadir Ahmad Dukku, the PDP blamed Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for the ongoing strike by academic staff at Gombe State University (GSU).

The PDP claimed that the current administration’s disregard for education extends beyond higher institutions and affects the entire educational system, including primary education. According to Dukku, the inadequate welfare of teachers, especially in primary schools, has resulted in a decline in the quality of education.

The party supported the GSU academic staff, who recently went on an indefinite strike. It said the action reflects the worsening state of educational institutions under Governor Yahaya’s leadership. Dukku also accused the government of failing to fulfill a 2021 Memorandum of Action (MoA), which promised increased funding, payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), and establishing a training fund for academic staff.

Dukku further alleged that the APC administration has weakened key educational institutions in the state, including those in Kumo, Dukku, Billiri, Bajoga, and Nafada, since taking office in 2019. The PDP urged the people of Gombe State to hold the government accountable and demand that education and public welfare be prioritized.

In response, the governor’s spokesman, Ismaila Uba Misilli, dismissed the PDP’s claims as an attempt to use the strike for political gain. He accused the PDP of spreading lies and exaggerating the situation to agitate the public. Misilli also expressed disappointment with the GSU academic staff’s decision to strike, stating that the government was actively working to address their demands and that the strike lacked proper warning, per labour relations protocols.