From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has appealed to the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU), Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) chapter to pull out of the ongoing nationwide strike embarked upon by its national body for the interest of the state government and students of the institution.
The Chairman, House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Daniel Ogazi (APC-Kokona East), made the appeal on Tuesday at a meeting held in Lafia with officials of the union in the state.
Ogazi, who is the Deputy Majority Leader said that the state government was committed to making the university the best, in order to meet up with international standard.
He said: “We appeal to you to suspend the ASUU strike and resume work in the interest of poor students and the state at large. His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule and the House under the leadership of Rt. Hon Ibrahim Balarabe Abdullahi are committed to make the University among the best in the country.
“We are proritising the university because it is one of the industry we are proud of in the state and you are all aware of our resolutions toward improving the standard of education in the university and the state at large.
“Recently, we appealed to His Excellency, Governor Abdullahi Sule to take over the full payment of salaries of the staff of the institution and last two weeks, the governor met with you. He has agreed to take over full payment of salaries in the institution.”
He, therefore, assured ASUU of government’s commitment to improved welfare of the lecturers, other staff and for improved standard of education.
Responding, Dr Samuel Emmanuel Alu, the ASUU Chairman, Nasarawa State University, Keffi appreciated the House for their concerns.
Alu said that the strike was nationwide strike and promised to reply the House by next week after their congress meeting on the matter.
“We are messengers, we will go back to the congress to inform them of all that have taken place, your appeals and we will get back to you accordingly, possibly by next week after our congress,” he added.
The Voice reports that the meeting was attended by all members of the House Committee on Education, Science and Technology, the ASUU Executive members and the immediate past Chairman of ASUU, NSUK chapter, Dr Tanimu Yusuf.
It would be recalled that the national body of ASUU had embarked on a protracted strike that has shut the nation’s university system since February, 2022.
