The Executive Governor of Kano State, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has commissioned thirteen (13) new study centres of the National Open University of Nigeria built and furnished by Senator Alhaji Barau Jibril, who represents the state’s Northern Senatorial District.
The centres cut across the thirteen local government areas that made up the Northern Senatorial District. They are: Shanono, Rimin Gado, Tofa, Dawakin Tofa, Gabasawa, Madobi, Gwarzo, Minjibir, Danbatta, Makoda, Kabo, Bichi, and Bagwai Study Centres.
At the historic event, where the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu as well as his entourage, the state governor described the occasion as memorable and important to the people of Kano State as tertiary education has further being taken to their doorsteps.
“He deserves to be praised because what he has done is in conformity with our policy of providing free and compulsory education in Kano State. Free and compulsory education has provided an opportunity to the people of Kano State to increase accessibility, to increase availability for the pursuance of education in Kano state,” Ganduje said of the senator.
He commended Senator Barau Jibrin and the Vice-Chancellor “for this great job they have done and also I am happy to see that not only commissioning these centres, eleven people have been employed to serve at each of the centres and I am happy to see that thirteen utility vehicles were provided to serve at these centres.”
Ganduje expressed appreciation that a befitting laboratory was also built by the same senator, saying that “I therefore understood that it is not only humanity (courses) that are being studied at this Open University; sciences can also be studied in Open University so that our children can become medical doctors, engineers, quantity surveyors, computer experts and a host of other fields of endeavors.”
He urged the people of the state especially the youths to take advantage of these facilities which have now being brought to the grassroots.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdallah Uba Admu, while speaking earlier, informed the governor that the responsibility saddled on him by President Muhamadu Buhari to steer the leadership of the National Open University Nigeria has come to an end.
“Today we have brought this university; three outstanding politicians have built and furnished sixteen study centres in Kano. In the whole of Nigeria there was no any place that got this opportunity, Distinguished Senator Barau Jibrin sponsored thirteen of these centres and provided thirteen Hummer utility buses to each of the centres,” said Adamu.
He added that Senator Barau has further sponsored a mega science laboratory, which was situated at the main Kano Study Centre.
He added that the first university in Nigeria was located at Madabo area of Kano, implying that Kano was the first in terms of education. “We are the custodian of knowledge; others can only copy from us.”
Adamu added that “I was not familiar with Senator Barau Jibrin until when I became NOUN VC and he was the only one that congratulated me among the politicians at the time I assumed office as VC. But I only heard about him in one of my favourite Hausa radio programme ‘Harshen Ka Alkalinka.’”
While recalling how the senator expressed his intent to build these centres, the VC revealed that it was the starting point of his own request for the amendment of NOUN Act to thrash out certain grey areas and hurdles, which was since signed into law by the president.
He commended the efforts of the senator for leading a team that ensured that NOUN Act was amended, and going further for the resolution that sees NOUN law graduates having the privilege to get admitted into the law school.
On his part, the sponsor of the projects, Senator Barau Jibrin, commended Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje for his contribution towards the realization of the projects, adding that “his topmost priority is education.”
He said “knowledge is power and it is the driving shaft in one’s day-to-day affairs. Countries of the world are no longer proud of the abundant resources in their disposal but rather the amount of intellectuals, knowledgeable human resource.”
The senator, who assured the university management of his continued support, added that “Like the governor, Prof. Abdalla Uba Adamu has the love and passion in educational development of the country.
In another development, the Vice-Chancellor has also commissioned another new study centre in Dawakin Kudu Local Government Area, where the VC referred it as “the educational excellence.”
The centre was sponsored, furnished and equipped by the member representing Dawakin Kudu and Warawa Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Hon. Mustapha Bala Dawaki.
The lawmaker, in his speech, remarked that it was necessary and important for the politicians to provide education for all “because education is a wealth forever.”
Dawaki disclosed that “since when I became member of the House of Representative in 2015, to date, I can assure you that my priority is education.”
At Fagge Local Government Area, two study centres sponsored by Hon. Aminu Suleiman Goro, Chairman House Committee on Tertiary Education, who represents Fagge Federal Constituency at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly.
One of the two centres, the Fagge Central Study Centre was named after the sponsor, while the Kwachiri/Rijiyar Lemu study centre was named after late Barrister Adamu Isa Suleiman.
In the same vein, the VC and his entourage have commissioned another study centre in Hadejia local government of Jigawa State, which was sponsored by senator, representing Jigawa North at the Red Chambers of the National Assembly, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Hadejia.
In his remarks, the senator promised to provide scholarship to the people of the emirate especially women so as to get access to education.
Traditional title holders, including the emir of Hadejia, Alhaji Dr. Adamu Abubakar Maje, CON, political office holders and a host of others from all walks of life graced the memorable and historic event.
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