By AUSTINE TSENZUGHUL, Bauchi –
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed on Saturday congratulated the management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU Bauchi) on the recent graduation of its first set of medical students.
Speaking at the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th combined convocation ceremony of the University held at its Gumbi campus, the Governor said in appreciation of the development, the state government would very much like to absorb the graduated medical students in a move to address the shortage of medical doctors in the healthcare facilities.
Represented by his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Auwal Jatau, Governor Bala Mohammed said Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi has consistently been a beacon of knowledge and innovation, standing tall among its contemporaries in the country.
He noted that the institution’s commitment to excellence and pursuit of knowledge is evident, in its outstanding academic programs, dedicated faculty members, and state-of-the-art facilities, adding that through its holistic approach to education, ATBU Bauchi has nurtured generations of leaders who have gone on to make significant contributions in various fields of human endeavor.
The Governor make it unequivocally clear that, Bauchi State government fully subscribes to the truism that education is the bedrock of progress and development, and no society can thrive without a strong educational foundation, hence it unwavering commitment to enhancing educational infrastructure, providing scholarships and grants, and improving access to quality education for all.
He explained that his administration’s commitment to the educational sector has been unwavering as reflected in the various policies and programmes so far implemented in the sector, adding with implementing new policies, particularly leveraging technology and robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms, it has successfully reduced waste and corruption in the educational system.
“Today’s momentous event marks a significant milestone in the lives of our graduating students, who have successfully traversed the challenging path of higher education, and are now ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating students. As your fellow citizen and Executive Governor of this great state, I am an advocate of innovation, progress and development.
“In our commitment to fairness, the investment in educational reform and infrastructure will be distributed across higher institutions in the State. Additionally, we provided land and buildings to support the establishment of new institutions by the Federal Government in Azare and Jama’are. While acknowledging these achievements, we recognize there is more work to be done. That is why we have established a Ministry of Higher Education.
“Due to the economic challenges faced by parents, we have restored and increased scholarships for Bauchi State indigenes by 50%, with plans for further increments as our resources improve. Furthermore, I have declared a state of emergency in the education sector. The focus will be on modernizing our curriculum to instill a Bauchi first consciousness and foster digital literacy for the benefit of students.”
Governor Bala Mohammed reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue investing in the education sector, creating an enabling environment for educational institutions to flourish, assured that it will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all eligible citizens of the state have access to quality education to compliment the efforts of institutions in producing excellent graduates who will lead the society towards a brighter future.
He therefore expressed his deepest gratitude to each and every individual associated with ATBU for their relentless efforts in ensuring academic excellence and promised a continued mutual relationship between the institution and the state government.
In a keynote address, the visitor to the university President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by Mr Ocheido James of the Federal Ministry of Education, assured that his administration will continue to do everything within its power and limited resources to ensure that University education in Nigeria is improved in tune with global best practices.
“Nigerian Universities have witnessed untold harsh situations over the years due to frequent strike actions; We are now focused on creating an enabling environment for sustainable dialogue in order to bring frequent strike actions by staff unions in the Nigerian University system to a permanent end. We will address some of the root causes of strikes in our Universities and other Tertiary Institutions to put an end to wanton disruptions of academic calendar and waste of time in our Universities.
“I will like to inform you that the present administration is steadily and conscientiously studying the education sector, Including the tertiary Subsector with the view of finding a formidable blueprint for achieving greater success in service delivery. The University system in Nigeria has come a long way and has recorded a lot of unquantifiable achievements in the training of professionals in every field and experts in various disciplines that are contributing to the development of not only our dear country but the World at large.”
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