Garba Garus Gallo
Nasarawa State Government has again vowed to prioritise the education sector in the state in a bid to better the working conditions of the academic staff of tertiary institutions termed as the engine room in any institution of learning.
Gov. Abdullahi Sule represented by the state’s commissioner for education, John Mamman said his government had already taken measure towards clearing pending issue of 2018 implementation of promotion, gratuity, road network and students accommodation, promising not to relent until the dire challenges facing the education sector in the state were addressed.
The governor who was at the Isa Mustapha Agwai l Polytechnic Lafia for the foundation laying ceremony of the chapter secretariat of the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, affirmed his commitment to providing means of cushioning the effect of subsidy removal among staff of tertiary institutions across the state as applicable to other workers in its payroll.
In his remark, chairman of the occasion, Sen. Ahmed Wadada, represented by Dr. Ahmed Ubangari called for cooperation among unions in the polytechnic community for the overall development of the institution.
In his address, Comr. Sylvester Aku, who is the chairman of the chapter’s ASUP, enumerated some of its challenges to include lack of standard secretariat, office accommodation, non implementation of promotion of its members, minimum wage, pension and gratuity and non inclusion of its members in palliatives scheme as he called on the state government to look into their plights immediately.
On his part, National President of the Union, Comr. Anderson Ezeibe appreciated the chapter for the initiative while urging government and well-meaning individuals to support the project as according to him will add value to teaching and learning in the institution