Abdullahi Adamu|An Idea Nurtured by Hope and Realism

Address by His Excellency, The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State , Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu (Sarkin Yakin Keffi) at the Occasion of the Maiden Matriculation Ceremony of the Nasarawa State University , Keffi, on Thursday, 23^rd May, 2002.

It is with a high sense of fulfillment and accomplishment that I delightfully address you today on this historic and memorable occasion of the maiden matriculation ceremony of our own University, the Nasarawa State University , Keffi.

I pay tribute to God Almighty for the actualization of this dream; for it was about three years ago, that I dreamt a dream. In that dream, I saw myself supported by some individuals planting a tree, which took no time in producing fruits that attracted people of different colours and composition. In that dream also, I saw a large crowd beneath that tree plucking its fruits and these people spoke different languages, but yet understand themselves and what they were saying.

Little did I know that this dream was to translate into the idea of establishing an institution that would pull together, men and women from different parts of the world for the purpose of seeking knowledge.

The people who supported me in the cause of planting the tree turned out to be members of my dream team, the Honourable Speaker and the Honourable Members of the State House of Assembly as well as those individuals that played various roles in our effort to get the University established.

We have come a long way from a mere conception of an idea, which was nurtured into a proposal. We have traversed a rough and difficult road to the present stage where we now have the University fully established, with well defined and well identified characteristics which are drawn largely from the national dream for Higher Education in Nigeria .

For the avoidance of doubt, I wish to state that Nasarawa State University has been conceived with the following characteristics and character which must be jealously guarded and preserved by members of the university community. These characteristics are:-

i) I conceive of Nasarawa State University as an institution where a candidate applying for admission into it sits for the relevant JAMB Examinations and gets admitted if qualified, without the candidate or/and his parent/guardian having to lobby or bribe persons during the admission process;

ii) Upon admission into Nasarawa State University, such a fresh student is worked through a stress free registration exercise, given a stimulating orientation and is settled in a comfortable shared hostel apartment with ample bed space, reading table, wardrobe and toilet facilities;

iii) We conceive of our university as one in which lectures begin and end as advertised in the time-table, released by Senate at the beginning of the session. All practicals, field trips and tutorials are also to be held as and when due without failure;

iv) Courses offered in our university are to be relevant to the socio-economic needs of our State and Nation at large;

v) The Library of our university, it is envisaged, must have the latest stock of books and journals, while the laboratories and workshops are to be well equipped and well maintained with adequate classrooms and lecture theatres;

vi) We also hope that our university would be a place where lives and property are secured on the campuses, water supply and electricity are regular, telecommunication is up-to-date, medical services for staff and students is reliable;

vii) In our university, sports and recreational facilities are to be reasonably adequate with good networks of roads;

x) We hope that our university shall attract a large number of students from other States of the Federation as well as foreign students and staff so as to permit a rich cross fertilization of ideas

xi) At the end of the semester and before the commencement of the next, both the students and parent receive notification of results for courses examined in that semester;

xii) Our university will be allowed to operate in such a way and manner as to guarantee that the session ends for a long vocation as originally planned at the beginning of the year. There are no strikes to interrupt the session. The sessional results conveying the standing of the student are released about a month to the close of the session. The student who has to withdraw from a programme or the university is notified on time.

xiii) The management of our university must be able to generate enough funds to run the institution through grants from government, fees, consultations, investments, endowments and other innovative sources to be devised by the university authorities;

xiv) In our university, the student union is a partner in progress with management. The union is able to maintain investments whose proceeds benefit the entire students and not just a few union officials;

xv) Also in our university, the staff union is to be a partner in progress with management and not an antagonist of any sort;

xvi) In our university, students will be required to meet their obligations to the institution by being worthy in character, attend lectures regularly and promptly, do assignments and tests, avoid cheating during examinations and avoid membership of campus cults;

xvii) In the same vein, staff in our university will be required to meet their obligations to the students by carrying out their teaching and non-teaching duties diligently and promptly;

xviii) Also the management of our university is expected to meet its obligations to staff by paying salaries and other emoluments promptly;

xix) We also envisage a university where the community meets its obligation to it by supporting its activities including financing of the some of projects and programmes;

xx) Finally, I conceive of this university as an institution whose graduates would be truly worthy in learning and character. He or she would not need to be retrained by an employer. The university must be able to create jobs in which many more people can be gainfully employed.

Pursuant to the realization and actualization of these features in our university, we have carefully and painstakingly sourced for credible and tested hands to provide the initial leadership for the institution, hence, the choice of Prof. Adamu Baikie whose fame within the academic community stretches beyond the shores of this nation as the first Administrator. Prof. Baikie’s verse experience as vice-chancellor of university of Benin for 8 (Eight) years and another 7 (seven) years at the University of Losoto have been brought to bear in our young university. I most sincerely commend Prof. Baikie for the respect and honour accorded our State to accept our call at this critical stage in the development of our State.

In addition to the assemblage of capable and competent hands to handle various aspects of the University Administration and academic work, we have since commenced work on quite a number of infrastructural facilities to give the University a befitting campus. Already, the main academic complex housing classrooms, laboratories, lecture theatres and staff offices have been completed and are already in use. The road network is being constructed while progress of work on the administration block has reached advanced stage of completion. The student hostels have been renovated while work on the Vice-chancellor’s Lodge has reached advanced stage of completion. Science equipment worth about N174m have already been procured and delivered to the institution to facilitate the take-off of the Faculty of Natural and Applied Sciences as well as Science Education Department.

In order to ease the transportation problem of the University, we have supplied reasonable number of vehicles to the institution while plans to procure more are in progress. Two 500 KVA Generator sets are to be supplied to the institution to supplement NEPA source of electricity supply.

Furthermore, contract for the construction of 3 (three) Faculty complexes each housing offices for Deans, Heads of Departments and lecture halls so as to avoid clash of lectures in lecture halls have been awarded and work will soon commence on these projects.

Conscious of the fact that the University shall continue to undertake transactions with various international bodies and agencies as well as such national bodies as JAMB and the NUC, Government has almost concluded transactions in the procurement of Liaison Offices for the University within the Federal Capital Territory .

Meanwhile, a full fledged campus, incorporating an administrative block, lecture rooms, a library, staff quarters, students’ hostels as well as a multi-purpose hall have been built at the Nasarawa road site here in Keffi.

This campus which now houses the administration (temporary though) pending the completion of the administration block here at the main campus is to house the Institute of Administration, the Faculty of Law as well as the Institute of Computer Technology which are expected to come on board by the next academic session.

Similarly, plans have already been completed to expand the facilities at the College of Agriculture , Lafia, preparatory to the take-off of the Faculty of Agriculture at the Lafia Campus of the University. To this end, work is soon to commence on the construction of additional lecture rooms, additional hostel blocks, more office as well as Laboratories that are commensurate with the standard prescribed by the National Universities Commission (NUC). It is therefore my hope that the University authority will continue with all necessary preparations for the take-off of the Faculty of Agriculture during the next academic session in Lafia.

We do believe and recognise that our University is a global community and as such have resisted the temptation to localise our recruitment drive as well as admission process. Hence while giving due cognisance to the interest of Nasarawa State Indigenes, we have deliberately accommodated other Nigerians and Foreigners alike, as that is the only way, we can expose our citizens to competitiveness and advantage of good interaction.

As a government, we remain committed to the ideals that propelled us into establishing this University and no amount of detraction shall derail us from our set targets and endeavours. I call on all our citizens to take full advantage of the opportunities offered by this centre of academic excellence.

I count on the good will of my colleagues in the Executive Council and that of the Honourable House of Assembly to nurture this place of pride to an enviable height.

Finally, I wish to reiterate my clarion call to the staff and students of this University to shun all vices that are capable of setting the hands of the clock backwards as government will not hesitate to bring to book, any person or group of persons that do anything that is capable of disrupting normal activities in this campus. As government remains prepared to live up to its responsibilities to both staff and students, it is our hope that this will be reciprocated appropriately, believing that to him whom much is given, much is expected.

I congratulate the matriculants and wish you a very rewarding academic life on this campus.