The chairman of the Nasarawa state University, Keffi, (NSUK) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Dr. Nghargbu K’tso, has asked the federal government to release the outstanding N880 billion meant for critical intervention projects of university education as a way to avert strike action by the union.

K’tso urged government to show more commitment to the funding of universities and welfare of lecturers in order to save the country’s university system from collapsing.

He regretted that the union has been battling with the federal government since 2009 for the release of the fund to no avail stressing that the funds, if released, would address the problems of infrastructural decay, research development and other key components of the nation’s university education.

Speaking after the union’s emergency meeting in Keffi, K’tso said, the nationwide warning strike embarked upon by the union was to get government back to the renegotiation table in respect of the 2009 agreement between the union and the federal government.

He insisted that federal government’s refusal to negotiate with ASUU to address the pending issues which border on funding for revitalization of public universities based on the 2013 MoU was detrimental to progress of the education sector.