The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Nasarawa State University, Keffi Chapter, has pleaded with stakeholders in education sector to engage government at all levels in reaching a reasonable agreement with the union to avoid disruption of academic activities in universities due to strike.
The chairman of the union in Nasarawa State University, Dr Samuel Alu, made the plea in an interview with newsmen during an interview in Keffi Local Government Area of the state on Wednesday.He, nonetheless, warned that Nasarawa State University, Keffi might begin another strike after the current one by the national body of the union is resolved if the local demands of the university were not met. Alu said that in spite of the efforts to resolve the ongoing national strike action, respite might not come for Nasarawa State University, Keffi soon, because of unresolved local issues with the union.“
We have our local issues but in the principles and workings of ASUU, we don’t join issues together. Once the national body is spearheading a strike action, all branches drop their local interests and challenges until the national interest is concluded.“We were at the point of getting mandate from our National Executive Council to begin our own strike action here before the national ASUU strike started.“
So I can assure you that you will still hear about Nasarawa State University, Keffi going on strike immediately after national ASUU strike because we have our local issues and we are not done with it yet,” he warned.He observed that after an emergency congress held on Tuesday, ASUU in Nasarawa State University, Keffi, unanimously agreed to also key into the eight weeks rollover strike mandated by the union’s national body.
The local demands ASUU in Nasarawa State University, Keffi, include payment of an unpaid Earned Academic Allowance amounting to N911 million, adequate funding of the university and domestication and implementation of retirement age of 70 years for academic staff and professional cadre, among others.(NAN)
