By Cyril Mbah, Abuja

The Vice Chancellor of  Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), Professor Suleiman Bala Mohammed has appealed to the Federal Government and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to do everything humanly possible to resolve the lingering strike which has crippled academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
Professor Mohammed said that a recent conference of vice chancellors of Nigerian universities has also expressed concern over the endless strike and the stalemate between the government and the union stating that its impact on the performance of universities will be felt for a long time to come.
He stated that the lingering ASUU industrial action has taken a dangerous toll on the academic community and has the capacity to ground the sector except urgent steps are taken to allow students and lecturers to return to classes.
The vice chancellor made these remarks while addressing the press in Keffi on Monday afternoon as part of programmes lined up to mark the 6th convocation ceremony of the university which started on March 25 with a Jumat service and will end with award of degrees to deserving students on Thursday, March 31, 2022.
At the press briefing, the vice chancellor disclosed that a total of 24, 129 students will be graduating and the combined convocation and would be awarded first degrees in various fields of learning.
The graduating students included intakes from the 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, and 2019/2020 academic sessions.
He stated that out of the number, 130 graduated with first class degrees, 5014 had second degrees while 15,749 will receive second class degrees and 2926 will get third class degrees.
The big highlight of the convocation, according to the vice chancellor, will be the award of honorary degrees to six eminent Nigerians among whom are Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Mallam Mille Kyari, Chief Peter Okocha, Alhaji Aliyu Balarabe and Alhaji Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the federation for meritorious services to the nation.
He also commended TETFUND for the sustained funding of the university stating that many of the projects expected to be commissioned during the convocation were funded by the agency.