Some students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nasarawa State government and the university management to urgently resolve the issues behind the ongoing strike and restore academic activities. The students expressed sadness over the prolonged industrial action, saying they are eager to return […] The post NSUK ASUU strike: Students appeal for early resolution of impasse appeared first on Tribune Online .
Some students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), have appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nasarawa State government and the university management to urgently resolve the issues behind the ongoing strike and restore academic activities.
The students expressed sadness over the prolonged industrial action, saying they are eager to return to their classrooms following recent indications that the dispute may soon be resolved.
“All we want to hear is the announcement of the suspension of the strike,” one of the students told the Nigerian Tribune.
The appeal followed fresh developments in the dispute, with the university management expressing optimism that the strike by ASUU-NSUK would soon be called off, after the union accepted an offer presented by the state government.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, disclosed this in a management update issued, on Tuesday, saying recent engagements among the state government, university management and the unions had produced encouraging results.
According to her, the governor of Nasarawa State, who is also the Visitor to the university, recently held a meeting with ASUU, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the university management.
She said the government presented proposals to the unions at the meeting, which were subsequently considered by ASUU-NSUK at its Congress held last Wednesday.
The vice-chancellor said the union accepted the government’s offer and expressed appreciation for the intervention and commitment of the Visitor.
She added that the ASUU-NSUK executive subsequently met with the university management on Monday, to discuss the implementation of the resolutions reached at the congress.
“Given these positive developments, Management is highly optimistic that the strike will be called off shortly,” Liman said.
The development has raised hopes among students who have been affected by the industrial action since it commenced on August 10.
The students appealed to the parties involved to sustain the dialogue and conclude the process without further delay, stressing that the prolonged disruption was affecting their academic plans and the university calendar.
ASUU-NSUK had declared an indefinite strike over the alleged non-implementation of the 2025 agreement between the Federal Government and the union, alongside unresolved local issues at the university.
The branch chairman, Zubairu Loko, had said the union embarked on the action after exhausting avenues of dialogue with the relevant authorities without securing satisfactory implementation of agreements reached.
The branch had also cited outstanding payments estimated at more than N3 billion, including Earned Academic Allowance, consequential adjustments arising from the implementation of the national minimum wage and the Federal Government-approved salary increase for university lecturers.
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The union maintained that it had exercised considerable restraint and pursued dialogue in the interest of the university, its students and the wider society before resorting to industrial action.
However, the latest intervention by the Nasarawa State Government appears to have opened a fresh avenue for resolving the dispute, following ASUU-NSUK’s acceptance of the government’s offer.
Meanwhile, the university management has appealed to students to remain calm and patient as consultations continue towards the restoration of normal academic activities.
Management also expressed concern over reports of plans by some students to stage a protest on campus.
While acknowledging the students’ right to peaceful assembly, the university said any protest must comply with established procedures, including prior written notice to the authorities, identification of protest leaders and disclosure of the proposed date, time and venue.
It warned that any protest conducted without fulfilling the stipulated conditions would be deemed unlawful and could lead to the involvement of law enforcement agencies and disciplinary action against participants.
Management urged students to avoid actions capable of further disrupting the academic calendar and encouraged anyone with information about planned unauthorised protests to report discreetly to the Dean of Student Affairs.
The university said it remained committed to the welfare of the students and expressed confidence that the industrial action was approaching an end.
“Management, led by the Vice-Chancellor, remains committed to your welfare and to the restoration of normal academic activities,” the statement said.
