From Esther Akaa, Lafia
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has protested the recent incessant kidnappings its members and students of the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK).
Members of the union who had a peaceful protest at the Senate building of the University in Keffi local government area of Nasarawa state on Friday, carried placards with inscriptions “Governor A A Sule save us from terrorists”, “Save lives of university lecturers.
Other inscriptions the protesters carried on placards were ” Overhaul the security apparatus in Keffi for us to be secured”, “The lives of lecturers lives matter. Let the lecturers breathe” among others.
Speaking shortly after the protest, the National President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, condemned the kidnapping, describing as pathetic and called on relevant authorities to put in place necessary steps avert future occurrence.
“It’s a pathetic situation. We are calling on the government, the Vice Chancellor and management of the institution to rise up to their responsibilities and ensure people are safe in this university,” he said.
He then commended the ASUU branch for organizing the peaceful protest which he said was necessary to notify relevant authorities of the displeasure of the union over the recent incidents.
“I commend this branch for this protest and I want to assure you that we will also take action over this ugly development,” he added.
Also speaking, Chairman, ASUU NSUK branch Prof. Samuel Alu, described the incessant kidnappings of members of the union and some students as a pill too bitter to swallow hence the decision by an emergency congress of the branch’s union to organize a peaceful protest.
“We are here to register our displeasure because within the last three weeks, several of our members have been kidnapped.
“We find it difficult to understand why this incident will happen consistently without any form of condemnation on the part of government or military,” he said.
He explained that aside the peaceful protest, the branch’s emergency congress also resolved that Governor Abdullahi Sule should rise to the occasion in addressing the insecurity challenges that has bedeviled NSUK.
“Our members are living in perpetual fear and threatened because nobody knows who is next. They are been improvised and been made to pay ransom and nobody has to come to our aid.
“We are putting on notice that we cannot accept this kind of ugly incident on our members to continue without been abated. Students have also been captured and ransoms have been paid.
“The fear is if this continues, Nasarawa state will soon cease to exist because of fear, people will have to leave because of their safety before talking of education.
“So we are calling on the Commissioner of Police Nasarawa state command to all rise to the occasion. What is happening is totally unacceptable to ASUU NSUK Branch and ASUU generally,” he said.
In an interview with newsmen, Prof. Abdullahi Modibbo, Deputy Vice Chancellor, NSUK who spoke on behalf of the NSUK Vice Chancellor, Prof Suleiman Bala-Mohammed said the institution was facing difficult times for almost a month due to incessant kidnappings of staff and students.
He, however assured that management of the institution was making serious efforts to checkmate the ugly trend and put a stop to it.
The Voice reports that some lecturers and students were kidnapped by unknown persons and were later released.
