By: Samson Obande, Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government has assured students of Nasarawa State University (NSUK), Keffi, to choose dialogue over the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike, saying it will not renege on its promises to the striking lecturers despite bureaucratic delays.
Dr Labaran Magaji, Secretary to the Nasarawa State Government, gave the assurance while meeting students’ union leaders in his office in Lafia.
He urged students to sustain dialogue and diplomacy instead of protests, assuring them that the state government under the leadership of Gov Abdullahi Sule would honour its financial commitments to the striking lecturers to call off the strike.
Speaking on the core cause of the delay, the SSG explained that government spending follows strict administrative procedures and compliance checks that could not be rushed, unlike personal spending.
Drawing from his past experience as a six-year member of the NSUK Governing Council, Magaji said that the state government already covers 100 per cent of the university’s wage bill to ease its financial burden.
He encouraged the student Union leaders to view their current roles as a training ground for future public service and to relay the outcome of the dialogue to the university’s ASUU leadership to help expedite the reopening of the institution.
He used the opportunity to further highlight achievements of Gov. Sule’s administration in the last two years, including construction of roads and overhead bridges in Akwanga, Keffi and Mararaba, establishment of two major lithium processing factories and recruitment of 26,000 youths into state service since 2023.
Speaking earlier, the President of the Students’ Representative Council, NSUK Chapter, Comrade Gideon Amos, who led the delegation, told the SSG that ASUU embarked on strike over outstanding payments the government was yet to complete.
He said that for three weeks, student leaders have been calming students on campus, many of whom are anxious ahead of examinations.
“We had several meetings with them to plead. They told us the government made an offer, but they want to see the money in their account before they call off the strike.
“We deem it wise to visit the state government to plead and appeal to help the students. We will be very grateful if a proper measure is taken to make sure this strike is called off,” he added.
Amos thanked the SSG for granting them an audience at short notice, describing it as a sign that the government values the interest of students and youth in Nasarawa State.(Kwararafa times media)
