ASUU: NSUK Set To Resume As Nasarawa Govt Agrees To Pay Salaries

Barring any last minute changes, academic activities at the Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK), will soon resume after the state government agreed to shoulder the 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, thereby meeting one of the key demands by the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), thus 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.

“One of the conditions they gave to us, the most important condition, is to ensure that we take over the full payment of salaries of all the staff, so that they don’t have to use their IGR.

“As far as we are concerned, we looked at our finances and we strongly believe that, based on the cashflow we have available to us and also because of the importance we attach to education, that we should be able to start that from this month.

“That is what we are looking forward to do. We are also hoping they will compliment by the moment we start the payment hopefully by Thursday or Friday, then we are hoping to see them also returning to their classes,” he stated.

Also updating the council about his recent activities concerning education, Engineer Sule disclosed that, following his recent visit to the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the agency of the ministry, the National Communication Commission (NCC), through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has donated ICT gadgets to the College of Education in Akwanga.

“They have supplied all the ICT gadgets from the NCC similar to what they did for us at the Isa Mustapha Agwai Polytechnic Lafia. The advantage COE Akwanga is having is that two servers will be installed, as part of their contribution to education in the state” he said.

The Governor therefore, used the opportunity of the meeting, to show great appreciation to the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Ali Isa Pantami for the support, as well as the NCC and NITDA for their support in this area.

On the health sector, Engineer Sule recounted that, only last week, Nasarawa State achieved a milestone when it received two awards in the area of COVID-19 treatment and vaccination, with the state emerging not only the best in the North Central but the overall best performing state in COVID-19 vaccination across the country.

“From what some of you have seen, we want to join in thanking everybody, as well as the good people of Nasarawa State, for the milestone we achieved in the treatment of COVID-19. I want to thank the Ministry of Health, especially the Commissioner, his team, including the Nasarawa State Primary Health Care Agency, for all the good work that they have done for Nasarawa State to receive two awards on Friday last week,” he stated.

He reiterated that the awards are dedicated to the frontline workers who did the state proud.

The governor however, pointed out that COVID-19 is still around, with Nasarawa State recording cumulative cases of 2278 with 49 deaths. Karu, Keffi and Lafia constitute 80 percent of the cases recorded.

Other health challenges confronting the state include monkey pox, with 3 outbreaks, chickenpox, 13 outbreaks and smallpox 8, mostly around Lafia and Keffi.

On the aspect of security, the governor recalled his recent visit to the office of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) in Abuja, where he sought the support of the military to address security challenges mostly around the borders between Nasarawa and Kaduna, as well as Nasarawa and Taraba States.

Engineer Sule explained that, based on the request, the COAS has accepted to set up two military super camps in Awe and Karu Local Government Areas.

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(FAQs) about the ASUU situation at Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK):

Why was NSUK preparing to resume academic activities despite the ASUU strike?

Answer: Academic activities at NSUK were set to resume after the Nasarawa State Government agreed to assume responsibility for paying university staff salaries, a key demand raised by the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). This intervention was intended to reduce financial bottlenecks and pave the way for possible instructional resumption.

What prompted the Nasarawa State Government’s decision to pay salaries?

Answer: The government’s move was influenced by the importance it places on education and the need to meet union conditions that would enable lecturers and other staff to return to work. State leaders felt that taking on salary payments directly would address one of the key concerns of staff and ease the resumption of academic activities at the institution.

Does the state government’s action mean the nationwide ASUU strike ended?

Answer: No. The nationwide ASUU strike has involved many federal universities and broader issues with the Federal Government. NSUK’s situation was a specific local resolution, where the state’s assumption of salary payment obligations helped create conditions for resumption at that university alone. National-level ASUU controversies and industrial actions may still continue independently.

What is ASUU’s main concern regarding salaries and university funding?

Answer: ASUU often raises issues around salary structures, allowances, backlog payment arrears, and university funding models. Although the NSUK case involved state government willingness to pay salaries to support resumption, broader union demands include improved national funding and welfare for academic staff in public universities across Nigeria.

How did students react to the resumption announcement at NSUK?

Answer: Students and the Students’ Union Government at NSUK encouraged their peers to return to campus and resume academic activities once the management announced reopening dates. The resumption was seen as beneficial for academic continuity and to help mitigate disruptions caused by the prolonged industrial action.