BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI
The Borno state Governor Hon. Kashim Shettima has inaugurated a 14 man technical committee for the establishment of a multi-billion Naira State University.
Inaugurating the committee, Governor Shettima said it is an embarrassment that a state like Borno did not have a state university, while some smaller states that have only 14 local governments or less have universities.
He said “we don’t want to establish a university which is nothing more than a glorified secondary school. We want to establish a university which will be comparable with the best universities in the country.
“The state government has earmarked the sum of N4.3 billion for the construction of four faculties with a Senate building. We have released most of the funds and very soon the outstanding N470 million will be release for contractors to finish their jobs,” the governor stated.
He said if established, the state university will afford opportunity to the state’s indigenes to secure admission, as the increasing demand for admission into the University of Maiduguri has forced students from the state to seek admission into universities outside the state and sometimes outside the region.
The governor said most of the students are from humble backgrounds and cannot afford accommodation and other expenses outside the state, hence the need for the establishment of the state university, adding that education is the best legacy any society can leave to coming generations.
In his speech, the chairman of the committee, Professor Abubakar Mustapha said “the annual number of applicants from Borno state seeking admission into universities have greatly increased over the years. This is compounded by the increasing competition from more and more candidates from other states in Nigeria.”
Professor Mustapha said “with no other university, private or state, than the University of Maiduguri, indigenes of the state are left at the mercy of universities within and outside the North-east region, which offer admission to negligible number of qualified indigenes of the state. It is therefore, imperative for the Borno state government to provide opportunities for the overwhelming prospective and qualified applicants.”
He assured the governor and the people of Borno state that they will work hard to deliver on their mandate. He stressed that though the task is challenging, with the caliber of people that constitute the committee, the incorporation of the commissioner for Higher Education and his permanent secretary, that they would hasten the establishment of the state university.
He said they will use their contacts and connections to attract support and assistance to the university and also establish linkages with the best universities across the world and appealed to the state government to continue investing in the education sector across all the levels of education, as issues like Boko Haram terrorism are born out of lack of education.
Also speaking, the state commissioner for Higher education, Hon Ahmed Usman Jaha commended the governor for constituting the committee and assured that they will not let down the governor and the people of the state.
