ASUU: Speaker calls for prayer

Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, has urged students and all Nigerians to pray for an end to the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

The speaker made the call on Tuesday shortly after received an award of Excellence as “Speaker of the Year” 2022 from the National Association of University Students (NAUS).

He said that the call for prayer toward the end of the strike was in the best interest of the education sector and overall development of the country.

Abdullahi, who promised to provide purposeful leadership, said that the award would spur him to initiate bills and enact laws and pass resolutions for the development of the state and the country at large.

“I am pleased and honoured with this award; I am indeed very happy because this award will spur me to do more in terms of law making, passing meaningful resolutions and providing purposeful leadership at all times.

“I don’t know that my activities in the assembly is being monitored by Nigerian students.

“My successes in the assembly are as a result of the maximum support and cooperation given to me by my colleagues in the assembly.

“We will continue to do our best toward changing the lives of our people and other Nigerians for the better,” he said.

The speaker noted that the assembly was doing all within its powers to ensure that the state university chapter of ASUU pulls out of the national strike and resume academic activities.

“We are friends of Nigeria students at our levels, and we are doing our best to ensure that ASUU of our state university pulls out of the strike and resume academic activities.

“We have engaged the state government, ASUU officials and management of the university to ensure that the strike is suspended.

“The ongoing nationwide strike has affected and still affecting the lives of our children, especially the students negatively because an idle mind they say is the devil’s workshop.

“We sympathise with the students, because what is happening is called for all hands to be on deck to ensure that the strike come to an end,” he said.

The speaker, who assured the students of his support at all times, urged them to be hard working and take their studies seriously and desist from all forms of social vice to excel in life.

Earlier, Mr Abraham Mohammed, NAUS Deputy National President and Mr Taiwo Oluwasegun, its National Publicity Secretary, who spoke separately, said that the association awarded the speaker due to his stirling leadership.

Mohammed said, “we are here to identify with you and to award you as the best Speaker of the Year, 2022.

“This is in recognition of your dexterous leader acumen, passionate professional capabilities and outstanding contributions toward the development of the Nigeria students and the society at large.

“We the Nigeria students are proud of your all-inclusive and quality leadership style,” he said.

The vice-president solicited the assembly support toward the growth and development of the association.