By Bala G. Abdullahi
Those of us who were privileged to be within the precinct of Bayero University, Kano when the outgoing Vice-President, Alhaji Muhammadu Namadi Sambo, visited the institution to commission some projects executed by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, were not the least surprised when he asked his host; am I really in Bayero University New Site?
This was because as a young architect, Sambo and other architects were commissioned to design the outlook of the new campus, and confessed that he was confused whether it was the same campus he participated in designing its initial take-off in the early 80s. Mr. Vice President was only stating the obvious and re-echoing what had occupied the minds of majority of the visitors to the university who saw an unprecedented infrastructural transformation comparable to no other citadel of learning in the country.
Sambo further said he had no further comment to make but to advise the management of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND)to consider allocating more resources to institutions like BUK that not only accessed their allocations but showed glaring commitment in the judicious utilization of such funds.
The Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Julius Okoje and his Tertiary Education Trust Fund counterpart, Professor Bogoro expressed similar sentiments.
But the question which agitates the minds of the people is; what did Professor Rasheed led management team accomplish in both the New and Old campuses of BUK that continues to earn him these unquantifiable encomiums?
To answer the above poser, it has become necessary for readers of this piece to follow me while I take a trip round the two campuses of the university, including the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital. One of the arguments often advanced by Professor Rasheed to support his gigantic infrastructural development is that teaching and research can only take place successfully first in a serene environment, secondly when the needed facilities/equipment are readily available.
With this at the back of his mind, the VC in 2011 embarked on an extensive and aggressive implementation of the University’s Strategic plan for 2010 to 2015. By 2014, Rasheed had succeeded in writing his name in gold and in the history books of BUK.
When activities moved from the old to the new site in the late 1980s, development initiatives by past leaderships of the university seemed to have been concentrated on the new site, but the coming on board of Rasheed in 2010 changed tide.
The restructuring of the faculty of medicine which heralded the creation of the College of Health Sciences as an umbrella academic and administrative unit to oversee the newly created four medical science faculties’ spearheaded the development initiative. The management saw the urgent need to provide the needed structures, equipment and other relevant facilities for the full take off of the new medical science faculties.
For this reasons, construction work to put structures of the faculties in place commenced almost immediately. One unique thing about the Professor Rasheed led management team is that as soon as the Senate gave approval for the restructuring of the faculty of medicine, construction work commenced for the upgrading of existing structures and the foundation stone of new ones put in place. Less than two years after the creation of the medical science faculties almost all the structures have been fully established.
But one outstanding feature of the Old Campus has been the beautiful network of roads constructed. The ring road which began from the main gate and passes through ASUU Secretariat to female hostel and through to the University staff Primary School and terminated at Juma’at mosque has been asphalted and made a dual carriage ways for ease of movement.
Also, roads to the staff quarters across the old campus have not only been rehabilitated but new ones constructed. To further fortify the work, major landscaping works have been carried out. These include the landscaping work at the premises of the 600-capacity lecture theatre and the premises of the departments of anatomy and physiology.
These giant strides of Rasheed’s leadership did not stop at the AKTH and the old campus of BUK. In fact, what was accomplished in terms of infrastructural development at the new campus surpasses those of the two put together.
A cursory look at the various projects executed showed that at the moment work on the new senate building is progressing and should be ready by July. The structure is expected to house the governing council chambers, senate, the VC, and the registrar. Already the faculty of education complex, departments of political science, sociology, Centre for Research in Nigerian Languages and Folklore, and new faculty of agriculture have all been completed and fully operational.
Mention should also be made of the multi-billion naira CBN Centre of Excellence now under construction and the Dangote School of Business Studies and International Conference Centre being built through constituency projects by Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo
It should be noted that the above submission regarding projects executed by the Professor Rasheed led management team is just a tip of the iceberg, and I will like to conclude by quoting the words of most academic and non teaching staff of the university viz, ‘Professor Rasheed has set a high standard of delivery in the management of Bayero University, and whoever succeeds him has a herculean challenge awaiting him or her.’
Abdullahi is of the Directorate of Public Affairs, BUK
