By Francis Nansak, Lafia
Baring last minute changes, academic activities at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), will soon resume lectures, after the state government agreed to shoulder responsibility for the payment of salaries of the staff of the university.
Nasarawa State Governor, Engineer Abdullahi Sule, made this known while briefing members of the state executive council, at the fifth state executive council meeting, which held at the Government House, on Wednesday.
Engineer Sule, while briefing the council on recent developments across the educational, health and security sectors of the state, announced the decision of his administration to agree to takeover the payment of salaries at NSUK.
This is thereby meeting one of the key demands by the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and paving the way for the possible resumption of academic activities.
According to the Governor, based on the available finances to the state and especially because of the importance attached to education, his administration has agreed to take over the responsibility of paying salaries of staff at the NSUK, beginning from this month.
He pointed out that, so far, the management of the university, as well as the non teaching unions namely the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) have all agreed to open the university.
When contacted, the Nasarawa State University Keffi, ASUU chapter, Dr Samuel Emmanuel Alu, said the Governor has done well by agreeing to take over payment of staff of the university, which was one of the reasons for its agitation.
He said: “Even if the governor, who happens to be the visitor of the university takes over the payment of the staff salary of NSUK and the national body strike persisted, we will go on with the strike, because we have domesticated the national body strike in NSUK.
“But if he pays up the salaries and ASUU eventually come to terms before the weekend, NSUK is good to go.”
Earlier in a telephone conversation, the information and Protocol Officer of the Nasarawa State University, Mr Abraham Ekpo, said none academic staff of the university are already in session and that the statement of the governor on taking over payment of staff of the institution is true.
He added that, so far, they are waiting for a union, which is still on strike, for full academic work to resume.