Muhammad Sabiu, Author at Tribune Online

The chairman, Forum of Southern Kaduna Professors, Professor John G. Laah has said over 186 professors that made up the forum are in support of the proposed Federal University of Applied Sciences Kachia, sited in the Southern part of Kaduna. While paying glowing tributes to the Senator representing Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, Senator Sunday Marshall Katung for initiating the Bill for the establishment of the University, he expressed hope that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will soon sign the bill into law. "I’m representing the Forum of Southern Kaduna Professors, the Southern Kaduna Academics and the university staff for good governance," the University Don said in an interview. "We are at the forefront of having a university in the southern part of Kaduna state. Our forum is not the forum of zone three, it is a forum of Southern Kaduna and our division of Southern Kaduna is all Local Governments from Chikun down. We cover 12 Local Governments in Kaduna State and our forum has 186 members. And these 186 members are not foreigners, they are all Professors from Southern Kaduna." "In 2018, we had the privilege of pushing for this university and of course, under Senator Danjuma Laah, it was Federal University of Science and Technology Manchok. But the truth is that there was a bill to convert the Federal School of Statistics to Federal University of Science and Technology. Of course his tenure ended and we didn’t have the bill passed. "But when Sunday Marshal came on board, the first thing he did was to approach us from the onset to notify us he was willing to come and challenge whoever and he wanted to present his credentials. "He spoke to us, but you know education is the industry that we have in Southern Kaduna and we are also very considerate with the fact that we have young ones that need to be trained in appropriate education and technology. "So we told him we were so happy to have him come on board. But our own focus is that anybody that is coming should try as much as possible to ensure that the federal presence is felt in the southern part. And that we needed a university— simply because it is probably within the number and terms of population. Probably in the area within the radius , we don’t have a Federal University." "And of course, Marshall picked up the challenge and that was why immediately after he was inaugurated last year, within a month, we had the first reading of Federal University of Applied sciences. And then a lot of misinformation came out. There were deliberate falsehoods that why is it that he did not pursue the plan made by his predecessor to have a Federal University of Science and Technology. " But I need to tell you that in the present system of Nigeria, once the university is approved by the president, it will be the first and the only Federal University of Applied Sciences. We have Federal University of Science and Technology. We have Federal University of Health Sciences but this will be the first Applied Science university." "And I think it was also based on the fact that he did a lot of consultation with stakeholders, with the Southern Kaduna professors, Southern Kaduna academics , traditional rulers, the Southern Kaduna leadership council and previous senators and we agree that this university is not a Southern Kaduna University of Applied Sciences— it is a Federal University of Applied Sciences. "Our own idea is just to have the location within Southern part and what are the reasons? We felt that once the university is located in the southern part, it is likely to engineer some development and grant our youths who are largely unemployed,those who promote social vices to really gain productive engagement. So establishment of this university is dear to us as professors and as southern Kaduna Academics. "And we interacted very well With ASUU national. ASUU national opposed the Federal University of Science and Technology. But of course this Federal University of Applied Sciences, we have not had a single objection from ASUU. which means that they are more comfortable with the university as well. "Now, this university was proposed for Manchok. when we went for public hearing, it was Federal University of Applied Sciences abinitio. And of course you know that the Senator is from Zango’s Kataf Council. And Manchok is in another local government, so we appreciated his desire to have a university in any other place other than his own local government." "Of course, if you know the argument of the Federal University of Science and Technology— the argument was that objection for most people especially from the southern part, was that the senator was taking everything to his local government. But I think this time around, we supported him. I must also say this.. the decision to change the university from Manchok to Kachia is a child of necessity. " And our commitment is to reduce the obstacles toward having a Federal University in Southern Kaduna,and to reduce the obstacle, decision to support Kachia came on board..And I must tell you that the Southern Kaduna professors were part of the decision. We were consulted and we acted, we contributed. "Now you are aware that we had the Nok University which had already even admitted students, before its closure. When people people talk about Kachia, it was the decision of the Senators, the stake holders, the Southern Kaduna Professors and Southern Kaduna Academics to say we already have five faculties in Kachia."