Observers are now watching to see how Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state will turn into tangible reality all the great promises he made during his campaigns and also in his inaugural speech on May 29, STEPHEN OSU writes
Governor Darius Ishaku has said he had wanted shutting down the Taraba State University, when the striking staff of the university refused to reason and yield to his plea that they should call of the strike he inherited.For over three months, students of the Taraba State University have been forced to stay at home following the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the institution over unpaid allowances.
The situation in the university before the coming on board of Governor Ishaku can be likened to that of a sinking ship in dire need of rescuers.
Recall that in late June this year theTaraba State University chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has gave the State government conditions for it to suspend their strike.
According to the state’s chairman of ASUU, Dr. Reuben Jonathan, his association will only suspend the strike if the state government provides money to clear the N100 million cheque the immediate past government issued to the union in March. He noted that the immediate past administration issued a N100 million cheque to the union as part payment for their unpaid allowances, but the said cheque bounced.
The don disclosed that its union embarked on strike due to lack of sincerity and commitment on the part of the past government, adding that the union will only suspend the strike if the present administration is ready to meet part of their demands.
He called on the present administration of Ishaku to give priority to the funding of the university to enhance quality education and also to improve staff welfare to enable them put in their best.
But according to the governor, when he assumed duty in Taraba State he met the institution on strike and despite his plea for the striking lecturers to return so that he would critically look at their complaints felt on deaf ears and it took the intervention of the Secretary to the Taraba State Government and the Vice Chancellor to have changed his mind from shutting down the university completely.
Darius Ishaku disclosed this in an interaction with the Vice Chancellor, Taraba State University and members of the Accreditation Team from The National Universities Commission Abuja headed by the Team leader, Professor Fumilayo Saporu of the National Mathematical Center Abuja.
The governor said there is more honor as a lecturer when you de-emphasize money and earned a lasting reputation that would be a mark the institution would live to remember you for and challenged the academic staff to imbibe the attitude of sacrifice stressing jokingly, that he was optimistic that the team will accredit up to twelve programs instead of the earlier intended eleven.
The governor asserted that he would do his best to maintain and try to surpass the standard set by his predecessor, Pharmacist Danbaba Danfulani Suntai by further uplifting the record of the institution as one of the fastest growing universities in the country and also see to how the academic staff would be more productive.
He maintained that if the Taraba State University would be recognized in the country as one of the fastest growing universities within the spanned of five years, shows the love and passion Pharmacist Danbaba Suntai had for education and the zeal to wipe out illiteracy and poverty in Taraba should be the kind of positive impact every leader that has the love for his state and people must be able to do in order to give the best to his people.
Speaking earlier, the team leader of the accreditation, Professor Fumilayo Saporu said they were impressed with what they have seen in Taraba state University and expressed appreciation for the wonderful support the Vice Chancellor is enjoying from the State Government.
Prof. Saporu maintained that such support were evident with gigantic structures that have been fully completed by the university and further added that theuniversity is benefitting maximally from TETFUND going by the numbers of structures courtesy of the TETFUND.
The accreditation team leader then solicited for freer hand for the V.C so that he would be able to put his best and do more for the institution and informed the governor that they were in the state to appraise and assessed eleven programs of the university for accreditation.
Saporu affirmed that the governor who is a product of Saint Pauls’ Zaria the institution he also graduated from is known for commitment and hard work and asserted that he was confident that under the leadership of Arch. Darius Ishaku the University would witness more development and more conducive teaching and learning atmosphere for both staff and students.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of Taraba state University, Professor Sani Yahaya informed Governor Darius Ishaku that the first and second visit of the accreditation team was a huge success to the university, over forty programs of the institution have been accredited and this particular team have come to asses and appraised eleven programs.
The VC appreciated the governor for paying all their outstanding allowances and begged for understanding from the governor saying that it was one the exigencies of the university system and assured him of a more harmonious working relationship.
With the ugly financial situation of the state, expectations are that Governor Ishaku must, as a matter of priority, fashion out ways of boosting the internally generated revenues to bring the state out of its precarious financial condition.