The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has urged the state chapter of the Joint Union of Tertiary Institutions to suspend its ongoing strike in the interest of the students and the overall development of the education sector.
Mr Daniel Ogazi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, made the call during a meeting with the officials of the union in Lafia on Wednesday.
Ogazi said that suspending the strike would give room for the committee to discuss with the State Government in order to implement their outstanding promotion arrears.
” We have heard your grievances and by the special grace of God, it will come to an end.
” I will plead on behalf of the Government of Nasarawa State and the poor masses of the State, that you should go and continue with your lectures.
” And give us two weeks to negotiate with the government. We will negotiate sincerely with the government on your behalf.
” We will do the work of labour, but please go and continue with your lectures.
” As His Excellency, Gov. Abdullahi Sule, is a Governor that has passion for the education sector, he is a listening governor.
” And it is on this note that I urge us to always see dialogue as the best option to resolve grievances.
” Yesterday, I met with the Head of Civil Service and there is positive response in that regards,” he said.
He disclosed that the committee was working hard with government to ensure that the state government took over the payment of salaries of staff of tertiary institutions in the state.
Earlier, Dr Ada Benjamin, the Chairman of the Joint Union of Tertiary Institutions in the State, said they were excluded from the ongoing implementation of promotions and annual increment of workers’ salaries across the state.
Benjamin expressed dismay that members of the union were excluded from the implementation, hence their decision to embark on the indefinite strike.
” What have we done wrong. What crime have we committed that the government will not implement our promotions.
” That was why we embarked on strike to press home our demands,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN) reports that members of the union embarked on an indefinite strike on Sept. 10 to press home their demands.
Members of the unions are drawn from the College of Education, Akwanga, Isa Mustapha Agwai I Polytechnic, Lafia, and College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Lafia. ( NAN)