…Says Report to be Tabled Before State Executive Council

By James Ezema

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has received the report of the Professor Buba Bajoga led committee on tertiary institutions.

Speaking during a brief ceremony held at the Exco Chamber, Governor Yahaya said his administration will study the recommendations at the State Executive Council level with a view to taking decisions and coming up with implementation strategy that will be in the best interest of the people of the state.

The Governor expressed the belief that with the calibre of the committee membership, which comprised academics of high repute and seasoned administrators, a thorough and comprehensive job must have been carried out, assuring that justice will be done to the document.

He assured the people of the State that his administration will continue to accord the education sector the priority it deserves for the overall good of the younger generation.

Governor Yahaya decried that over the years, Gombe state had consistently remained at the bottom of the ladder in academic performance, especially in national examinations, saying his administration is already taking measures to reverse the ugly trend by improving the quality of education from the basic level which he noted will ultimately dovetail to tertiary level and have effect on the state’s rating.

“I believes once proper and sound basic education is attained, certainly there will be optimal performance and our students will have the ability to meet admission requirements to actualize their dreams of studying at institutions of higher learning “.

Speaking earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Professor Buba Bajoga said the observations and recommendations contained in the report were made after the committee had visited all the campuses of the 5 institutions to assess their level of establishment, preparedness and ability to operate in accordance with their enabling laws.

According to Professor Bajoga, the committee also examined the academic facilities, including the infrastructure, number and ranks of academic and non- academic staff, academic support facilities such as workshops, libraries, laboratories, lecture theatres among others.

He said, in the cause of their assignment, they held consultations with stakeholders, including traditional rulers, community leaders and managements of the institutions under review and received memoranda.

The committee members expressed appreciation to the Governor for the opportunity to serve.

The Street Reporters Newspaper recall that on the 24th July, 2019, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya inaugurated the committee with a clear term of reference and a mandate to review the status of 5 tertiary institutions in the state namely, Gombe state University of Science and Technology Kumo, College of Legal and Islamic Studies, Nafada, State Polytechnic, Bajoga, School of Health Technology, Kaltungo and School of Nursing and Midwifery, Dukku.

The committee was mandated to, among others, review the establishment of the institutions from inception; assess the potentials and relevance or otherwise of the institutions to the educational and overall socio-economic development needs of Gombe State; assess the viability and sustainability of the institutions considering the financial resources and status of the state, especially in view of the heavy debt overhang, the Local Government autonomy viz-a viz the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit ( NFIU) regulations being enforced by the federal government.

It was also to prioritise the need of the state in terms of basic, vocational and tertiary education with a view to sharing the resources available.