The Vice President, Arc Mohammed Namadi Sambo, has said that the Federal
Government, through intervention programmes under the Tertiary Education
Trust Fund (TETFUND), had expended over 34 billion Naira on the provision
of various developmental programmes and projects on higher institutions in
Kano State.
The Vice President disclosed this on Monday in Kano State at an
interactive session with members of the Bayero University Kano (BUK)
community, which held during his official visit to the University, where
he also commissioned and laid the foundation for various projects.
Arc Sambo said that education was the bedrock for meaningful development
and had a pride of place on the President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
administration Transformation Agenda, which he said had impacted
positively on the education sector in the country and Kano State in
particular.
The Vice President revealed that within the period 2010 to 2014 the “total
amount expended by TETFUND for both infrastructural and academic training
in Kano State tertiary institutions is in the sum of N34.109bn. While
adding that the “total amount of investment by TETFUND across the country
within the period is in the sum of N644 billion.”
Vice President Sambo, disclosing that the intervention was felt by both
federal and State government owned institutions in the State, mentioning
them to include BUK, Federal College of Education Kano, Police Academy,
Wudil, Federal College of Education Technology, Bichi, Kano State
University of Technology, North West University and Kano State
Polytechnic, as well as Sa’adatu Rimi College of Eduction.
Vice President Sambo stated that the giant strides achieved was not only
in the education sector alone but also in the power, transport, security,
anti-corruption drive, agriculture, industrialization and other
socio-economic programmes.
Arc Sambo assured the University community of President Jonathan’s
commitment and determination to deliver free and fair elections, while
also debunking the rumour of the removal from office of the INEC chairman,
Prof. Atahiru Jega, saying it was the fabrication of mischief makers.
Answering questions on security, he narrated the giant strides Nigeria
had achieved in tacking all security concerns particularly the insurgency
in the north-east, thanking Nigeria’s neigbours, sister African countries
and the international community for their support, calling on all
Nigerians to support and partner government to tackle terrorism.
In their separate remarks the Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim
Shekarau and the Pro Chancellor of BUK, Alhaji Mahamud Yayale Ahmed
commended the Federal Government for their achievement in the education
sector, particularly regarding Government’s policy of increased access and
quality education.
Speaking the Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, Prof. Abubakar
Adamu Rashid, expressed the gratitude of the university community for the
Vice President’s visit, also expressing delight with the unprecedented
support given to the institution by the Federal Government under President
Jonathan.
Speaking further he stated that the eight projects and the foundation
laying of four new ones performed but the Vice President were part of the
numerous development works which were being financed by the Federal
Government under the TETFUND.
The Vice Chancellor, noted that the university had introduced new degree
programmes to support Federal Government’s policy on expanding access to
higher education and promoting Nigeria’s transition to knowledge based
economy.
Some of the TETFUND projects commissioned by the Vice President included,
the Ahmadu Adamu Mu’azu Stadium, named after the PDP national chairman,
the faculty of education building, Department of anatomy building and also
the department of Physiology building.
Others were the new multipurpose teaching hospital laboratory, and also a
360 bed female hostel. Also included were two Centres at the Aminu Kano
Teaching Hospital, that of the Centre for Advance Medical Research and
Infectious Diseases.
He also laid the foundation for the International Conference Centre being
constructed by Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo.