The Nasarawa State Government, has commended Keffi Old Boys Association( KOBA)  for carried out total renovation of eight class rooms  with two offices in Government College Keffi.

The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technolog, Hajiya Fatu Jemaita Sabo gave the applause during the commissioning and handing over of the one storey building to the authority of the school in keffi.

The commissioner, who spoke through Audu Ohimegye, the college Principal expressed joy and satisfaction with the renovation work and other giant intervention in the state’s education sector by KOB while calling on other old boys association to emulate KOBA in supporting government towards improving on the standard of education in the state.

The commissioner  revealed  that the state have over four hundred public schools, hence the need for all to support government to address some emerging challenges in the sector.

On his part, the President General of KOBA, Engr.Edward Ujege, who was represented by KOBA  Secretary General,  Mr Sam Israel said the  renovation of the form five(5) block of edifice was carried out by KOBA set 23 in their effort to contribute to their alma mater.

In his speech, Chairman of the old students of Government College Keffi set 23, who undertook the renovation  project, Mr Benedict Dingba enjoined the school management and students to guard it jealously in their interest and for the overall development of the education sector.

Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.

Kogi state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello on Wednesday, inaugurated the heads of the six higher institutions and their governing councils whose appointments were recently confirmed .

Those inaugurated include the Vice Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University, the Rector of Kogi State Polytechnic, Provosts of the State Colleges of Education and that of School of Nursing and Midwifery and their chairmen and members of council.

The Governor charged them to bring to bear their experiences on the sector by making sure that graduands of the institutions take with them ” a healthy mind in a healthy body” with quality characters that would make them enviable citizens.

Governor Bello said his focus on education is to bequeath a worthy legacy that will outlive the test of time for the benefit of generations as the only guaranteed sector of human development.

He expressed his confidence in the heads of the institutions as people of impeccable characters who are appointed purely on the basis of their worthy contribution to the development of education in the state.

According to the Governor, Kogi State boasts of some of the best minds in the education sector, and challenged the new appointees to assists the state in its efforts to create a secured future for the State.

The Governor who described the event as epoch making said education is the bedrock of any meaningful development, without which the society could have detoriated and many that occupy public offices today would not have had the opportunity.

He promised to continue to do his best to sustain the progress recorded under the various administrations, adding that the standard of education must be improved under his watch.

The Governor, who thanked stakeholders for their roles in tackling insecurity on campuses across the state through discouragement and drastic actions against cult related activities among students and other criminal activities that have been threatening security of lives and property,urged the students of the institutions to ruminate on their future and avoid such dangerous indulgences.

Gov Yahaya Adoza Bello of Kogi State

In her vote of thanks, the Vice Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Prof Marietu Tenuche promised that the new appointees would continue to be loyal to the administration and do all within their powers to ensure the confidence reposed in them was not misplaced.

Idris Ahmed, Lokoja.

The new Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, has promised to add value to the university stated mission which is to be the best among the 11 newly established Federal universities and  be one of the 10-top ranking universities in Africa.

Prof. Akinwumi who made the pledge during his inauguration on Monday as the 3rd Vice Chancellor of the University, said that though the University currently ranked 7th among the 11 federal universities established in 2011, the Lokoja institution, will move to the first top ten among the Nigerian Universities.

He disclosed that he has personally been to these 11 federal universities established in 2012, and discovered that in the category, the top three universities are Dutse, Ove- Ekiti and Tashare

” He said that the University currently is ranked seventh among the 11 Federal Universities established in 2012, 78th in Nigeria, 255th in Africa and 10,600th in the world.

” We are number 78 in Nigeria, 255 in Africa and 10,600 in the world,
ladies and gentlemen our efforts to improve on our ranking commences today. I possess varied local and global experience, I know this and with determination and the Goodwill of employers the governing board and that of the host community we are succeeding .

” Most importantly, I know how passionate the students and staff of this university are. With all these, I am determined to raise the bar in the standard and fortune of the Federal University Lokoja.

” The university has a unique mission to train employable graduates through competency based teaching, applied research and practical community service to the catchment area, Africa and the World.

“At the interview that gave me this job, I submitted a vision plan that outlined what I will do if I got the job. Now that I have the job, I have reviewed the plan alongside the university’s strategic plan.

“I will share the plan with an expanded management committee and subsequently with the Senate so that it will be adopted and truly owned by the university.” The Vice Chancellor stated.

He said the plan is to build on his predecessors’ foundation and consists of 10 focal areas laid out as key objectives, which include improved funding, institutionalization of university culture,  meeting the needs of faculties, departments and units, promoting quality applied research, ensuring students and staff welfare; addressing labour matters, investment in technology solutions for teaching, learning and research; infrastructure development and improved environmental sanitation on campus.

Others are introduction of new academic programmes; establishment of linkages with local and global bodies.

Prof. Akinwumi also revealed that utmost on the agenda is to pursue the generation of funds to augment the Federal Government support and agencies which he said indeed have been giving much in order for  the council to commit to an aggregate internally genrated revenue ( IGR) contribution to the university’s annual budget.

The newly inaugurated Vice Chancellor said that by the first week of next month, he will be sharing his vision plan with an expanded management committee and setup a 120-day agenda for   the implementation.

As part of action plan, the Vice Chancellor said, monitoring and evaluation and benchmarking will be taken seriously and driven by internal mechanism and external watch agents.

” The covid-19 pandemic has destroyed our world as you all know  the destruction has been very pervasive in the Education industry.

“The way we teach, learn, conduct research, attend meetings, seminars and conferences have changed very rapidly in the last year and the changes have come with tremendous challenges, but with equally some exciting opportunities. Remote learning has become a fact of life and we must adjust to it.” He said

On  competency based learning,  he said the University will introduce some novel ideas to ensure that the students emerged equipped with skills and competence to operate in a digitally driven world.

“We will transform our campus to a beautiful green one. All new undergraduate and postgraduate students must plant and nurture  economic tree from entry to graduation.

” By the time I complete my term in 1, 825 days we should have a minimum of 10,000 economic trees on our campus.” The Professor of history has said.

He also plans to map and capture all essential data for education, social and economic services as a repository of information and knowledge and as digital natives, the students will be equipped with skills that will help them understand the science of numbers and how to use numbers to make decisions.

Sports and entertainment will also be promoted vigorously under the watch of the new Vice Chancellor so as to identify a few essential sports and grow their participation so that a national champion in one of them will emerge in three years.

Kogi state Governor, Alhaji  Yahaya Bello represented by the state Commissioner for Education, Mr Wemi Jones, described the new Vice Chancellor as a champion considering his achievements before his present appointment.

” Even before your arrival, we have taken time to find out your antecedents and what and what you have done and we are excited  that you are with us in Lokoja at this time.

“God has prepared you specifically to take over the mantle of leadership at this point in time because we need somebody like you and with your kind of profile in Lokoja at this time.” Me Wembe said.

Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi

He said the Ministry of Education under his  leadership has had a wonderful working relationship with Federal University, Lokoja, (FUL) adding that it is looking forward to more synergy with Education on prime position in the New Direction Agenda of the state government.