The activities of Boko Haram prohibited Institutions of Higher Learning in Borno state from holding convocations in the past five years, according to Babagana Zulum, the governor.
During a meeting on Friday in Maiduguri with top management team of the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) led by Professor Kyari Mohammed who is the Vice-Chancellor, governor Zulum denounced the actions of Boko Haram, which have prevented many tertiary institutions from holding Convocation Ceremonies in the state for the past five years.
Additionally, he pointed out that Convocation is how the government formally identifies and recognises the top-performing students.
To help NAUB with its planning for the holding of its first convocation, scheduled to take place on October 28, 2023, he announced a donation of N50 million.
He also directed Commissioner for Reconstruction, Rehabilitation and Resettlement, RRR, Engr. Ibrahim Idris to draw a proposal for immediate approval to construct befitting staff quarters and students’ hostels for NAUB, so as to ease the problem of accommodation.
While commending the former Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai (Rtd) and the federal government for establishing the University in 2018, Zulum pointed out that during his first tenure, precisely in the past four years, his administration, which was shrouded with competing demands, has supported various federal institutions, especially the construction and completion of staff quarters and students hostels at University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH among other various interventions.
His words: ” We are all living witnesses to atrocities posed by Boko Haram which, in the last five years, have hindered many of our tertiary institutions from conducting Convocation Ceremonies in the state.
“Now that peace has returned to our dear state, by the special grace of Allah (God), my government will support all tertiary institutions in conducting their convocation ceremonies, this is very important, as it is through Convocation, that the best performing students are officially identified and be rewarded by the government.
“I want to also use this opportunity to inform the management Team that the present administration is working out modalities to ensure that Best Performing students from Borno North, Central and Southern senatorial district are sponsored for their academic studies in NAUB by Borno State Government,” Zulum stated.
Earlier in his address, NAUB VC, Professor Kyari Mohammed commended Governor Zulum for his foresight in repositioning the education sector in the state.
He said, since 2018 when the institution was established, it runs a very unique programme by utilizing scientific and technological knowledge to develop credible and creative capacity for proffering innovative solutions to the problems of the Nigerian Army, the military as well as the nation at large
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