The Nasarawa State Government has assured students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), that Governor Abdullahi Sule is intensifying efforts to resolve the ongoing Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and ensure they return to the classroom.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Labaran Magaji, gave the assurance on Wednesday when he received a delegation of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in his office in Lafia.
Magaji sympathised with students affected by the industrial action and said Governor Abdullahi Sule was concerned about the situation and was working to bring it to an end.
“I can assure you that, as a listening government that we have under the leadership of Governor Abdullahi Sule, such concern is sooner or later going to be resolved.
“The Governor is not sleeping over it. He is intensifying efforts to see that this issue is resolved so that students can go back to class,” he said.
The strike has disrupted academic activities at the state-owned university, leaving students unable to continue with their studies as scheduled.
The SSG urged the students to remain patient while the government worked towards resolving the disagreement with the striking lecturers.
Magaji advised the students to avoid materialism, greed and other social vices, stressing the importance of contentment and strong personal values.
He also criticised what he described as the declining spirit of comradeship among young people.
He said activists should not abandon their principles in exchange for personal benefits.
According to him, genuine comradeship requires commitment, sacrifice and consistency.
“Students should reject politics driven by ethnic, religious and other primordial sentiments because such divisions can undermine the development and unity of society,” Magaji said.
Earlier, the leader of the NANS delegation, Comrade Asmawu Omeze, said the students’ body was in Nasarawa as part of a campus tour to assess the welfare and conditions of students.
Omeze, who is the NANS National Treasurer, said the delegation was not in the state to protest but to engage with stakeholders and assess the impact of government policies on students.