By Bashir Hassan Abubakar
The Sa’adu Zungur University Gadau on Saturday at its maiden and combined convocation ceremony conferred Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed with a Honorary Doctorate Degree in recognition of his administration’s educational agenda for economic and societal development.
Addressing the gathering, the Governor congratulated the University Governing Council, the Management, Staff, Students and the entire community of the state University for a successful conduct of the maiden and combined convocation ceremony and promised to work closely with the Management to ensure that the convocation is held regularly in tandem with National Universities Commission’s recommendation.
Governor Bala Mohammed recalled that, the Bauchi State University was established in the year 2011 to give youth the opportunity to further their education and provide middle level manpower for the state civil service and therefore commended the University Management for maintaining peaceful atmosphere on its campuses and good working relationship with the State Government and other relevant agencies that cater for primary, secondary and tertiary education.
He pledged to support the university in the areas of research and innovations in order excel and move the state to a greater height and saying that, as the world is moving towards digital economy, his vision for the university and other tertiary institutions in the state is to promote technology and skill acquisition for self-reliant.
The Governor then challenged the University to come up with courses and programmes that will turn the tide and open up opportunities for people to improve their economy and as well enjoined the University to uphold the culture of selflessness, fellowship and commitment by ensuring the institution’s rules and regulations for the smooth conduct of its staff and students remain sacrosanct and strictly observed.
He noted that, like in primary and secondary educational institutions, his administration is poised to provide infrastructural facilities and necessary support to state owned tertiary educational institutions to ensure hitch-free academic activities and has succeeded in carried out a number of projects at the State University which include, construction of 3 kilometers of roads at the Gadau Campus, extension of power supply to faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, procurement of lab equipment and reagents, employment of 160 staff, collaboration with TETFUND to improve existing structures and build new ones.
He said other State owned tertiary institutions of learning have also not been left out in the government’s determination to ensure educational excellence as it has been supporting the institutions towards the achievement of full accreditation of their courses, provision of physical infrastructure and supply of office equipment and furniture in collaboration with TETFUND, training and retraining of staff to acquire Masters and PhD degrees and ensuring proficiency in teaching in addition to prompt release of funds for the day today activities of the institutions.
“I wish to express my gratitude to the Chancellor of the University, His Royal highness, the Emir of Bauchi, Dr. Rilwanu Suleimanu Adamu for your continuous guidance and fatherly advice. I equally wish to acknowledge and thank the Pro-Chancellor for his immense contribution to the University from its inception to date. I also wish to thank the Emirs of Katagum, Misau and Jama’are for hosting other campuses of the University.
“In the area of support for indigenes of the State to acquire higher education, we have since the inception of our Administration in 2019, paid a total of N658,539,470:00 as scholarship to 32,987 students undergoing courses at various tertiary institutions. As a result of the increasing number of candidates seeking for admission into tertiary educational institutions, both the Federal Government and Bauchi State Government have established more tertiary institutions of learning in the State.
“A Federal University of Nutrition and Health Sciences has been established at Azare and Federal College of Education has been established at Jama’are. As a good host, the Bauchi State Government has provided temporary sites for the two institutions. Furthermore, the State Government has released N10 million and provided computers and stationaries to Federal College of Education Jama’are for its take off. Beds and computers have also been provided to the Federal University of Nutrition and Health Sciences at Azare.
“On our part, we have established an additional state owned College of Education at Dass. The sum of N60million has been released for its take-off. The State Government has also established an Oil and Gas Training Institute to produce professional and vocational manpower for the petroleum industry that would soon start work at the Kolmani Oil field in Alkaleri Local Government. The institute has already taken off at its temporary site at the Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic. Provision has been made in the 2024 budget for construction of the permanent site of the institute at Alkaleri.
Governor Bala Mohammed therefore disclosed plan by his administration to hold an Educational Summit with the aimed of transforming the sector with emphasize on designing a road-map whose implementation will ensure equitable access to quality and functional education and used the medium to equally call on the University Dons to come up with ideas on how to surmount the ever increasing security challenges bedeviling states state and the nation, especially cyber crimes, kidnapping, youth restiveness, and drug addiction.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Fatima Tahir explained that, 184 students of the university have graduated with first class degree honours out of the total of 7026 undergraduates.
Fatima Tahir, recalled that full academic activities in the University, began in 2011/2012 session to date, with a total of 3,593 students graduated with second class upper division and disclosed that the University graduated 484 postgraduates across various programmes such as Postgraduate Diploma (119), Professional Masters (193), Academic masters (193) and 19 PhD.