Emiola Osifeso
The management of Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), has reinstated four students earlier suspended for mobilising against the introduction of a “third semester” scheme by the institution.
The students, Shekwogaza Godiya Sanda, Timothy Manasseh, and Asan Ukeyima, among others were suspended after protesting against a new policy that required students to pay N5,000 for every failed course under the additional semester.
On December 9, 2024, the university issued letters of suspension to the affected students following the planned protest, which was preempted by their arrest and detention by the Nigeria Police Force. Reports indicated that about 25 students faced a disciplinary panel, with four of them eventually suspended.
Despite an appeal from Governor Abdullahi Sule, the university, led by Vice Chancellor Prof. Sa’adatu Hassan Liman, initially declined to lift the suspension.
The Education Rights Campaign (ERC), which had been advocating for the students’ reinstatement, confirmed on Friday that the management had reopened the students’ academic portals.
In a statement signed by Deputy National Coordinator, Ogunjimi Isaac, and National Mobilization Officer, Adaramoye Michael Lenin, the ERC described the development as “a victory for struggle and solidarity.”
The group explained that it launched campaigns on campus, engaged with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch at NSUK, and drew support from civil society groups, including Motion, coordinated by Hauwa Mustapha.
According to the ERC, the university management ignored initial calls for reinstatement but later conceded following pressure from stakeholders and the intervention of the state governor.
The statement noted:
“Despite management’s attempts to delay and misrepresent facts, the persistent campaign ensured that the affected students were fully reinstated. This victory underlines the importance of organised resistance against anti-student policies.”
The ERC urged Nigerian students to learn from the experience at NSUK, stressing the need for a vibrant and democratic platform to defend student rights and push for reforms in the education sector.
It also encouraged activists and stakeholders to support the campaign for adequately funded and democratically managed public education across the country.
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