Four trade unions commend FUDMA’s staff welfare initiatives

Four trade unions commend FUDMA’s staff welfare initiatives

By Ahmad Yahuza Abdullahi and Abdul-azeez Garba Usman

Leaders of four trade unions at the the Federal University Dutsin-Ma have commended the management of the institution for its steadfast commitment to staff welfare.

The unions believe that sustaining the staff welfare initiatives would boost morale and productivity.

In separate interviews, the union leaders said that the steps being taken to enhance staff welfare were in line with their agenda, pledging to support further initiatives to cover identified gaps.

Dr. Dahiru Rabe, Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), FUDMA branch, described the management’s concern for staff welfare as deserving of commendation, urging the university leadership to sustain the momentum.

According to him, responsibilty for staff welfare must be shouldered not just by the university management alone, but also by the unions.

He revealed that ASUU is actively exploring partnerships with private transport companies to ease commuting challenges for members, thereby complementing the university’s existing efforts in that direction.

“We have our plan, but we do not want to reveal it to the public until it materializes,” Dr. Rabe added.

Comrade Peter Seri, Chairman of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), took a broader view, asserting that any organization that neglects the well-being of its workforce will have to contend with low morale and productivity.

Chairman of SSANU, FUDMA Branch, Comrade Peter Seri

He noted that the university management’s current welfare focus has given staff a renewed sense of belonging, which in turn has enhanced motivation and job satisfaction.

Seri, however, appealed to the management to increase the fleet of vehicles shuttling staff between the two campuses, a suggestion also made by Comrade Sulaiman Ibrahim Aliyu, Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

He said that NASU is in absolute support of the management for the welfare initiatives. “In the quest to get maximum output, many organizations in both public and private sectors, often initiate certain welfare schemes aimed at giving its staff a motivational face,” Sulaiman observed.

FUDMA ASUU Branch Chairman, Dr. Dahiru Rabe

Also, the Public Relations Officer of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Sulaiman Yusuf Maigora, stated that his union is in 100 percent support of the management’s efforts to enhance staff welfare.

While NAAT currently has no plan to provide vehicles for members, Maigora used the opportunity to appeal to the management to allocate additional vehicles to boost the current shuttling system between the two campuses.

The collective endorsement by the four unions underscores a growing consensus that staff welfare is integral to institutional effectiveness and productivity, especially as the university navigates the challenges of a multi-campus system.

It could be recalled that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Khalid Othman recently stressed the need for partnership between management and unions in sustaining overall institutional performance.

He had however warned to sanction staff members found wanting, especially those who have abandoned their duties.

The management has been injecting resources into the Main Campus to improve security, water, electricity, and other amenities, while working to decongest the current campus by relocating some faculties and students.

The University’s commitment to staff welfare has been demonstrated through tangible actions. Earlier in June 2026, FUDMA staff celebrated the commencement of payment of five months’ Hazard Allowance arrears approved by the Vice-Chancellor, a development hailed as a significant boost to staff morale.