After the state government decided to take on responsibility for paying the salaries of the university’s staff, academic activities at Nasarawa State University Keffi (NSUK) should shortly resume, barring any last-minute modifications.
At the fifth meeting of the state executive council, which was held on Wednesday at the Government House, Nasarawa State Governor Engineer Abdullahi Sule informed the attendees.
While updating the council on recent events in the state’s educational, health, and security sectors, Engineer Sule announced that his administration had decided to agree to take over the payment of salaries at NSUK, satisfying one of the main demands of the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and paving the way for future collaboration.
According to the governor, his administration has agreed to take up the burden of paying the salaries of the personnel at the NSUK, starting this month, depending on the state’s available funds and in particular because of the priority attributed to education.
He emphasized that the university’s administration and the non-teaching unions, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), had all so far consented to the university’s opening.
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
