By Abubakar Baba Ahmad.
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities NASU Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University ATBU chapters have commended the management of the institution for its effort towards academic quality assurance as well as students and staff welfare.
A Statement by the Director Information and Public Relations of the institution Zailani Bappah says the unions made the commendation when they lead other members on a separate visit to the Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Ibrahim Hassan Garba in his office.
The statement says the Chairman of SSANU, Comrade Sulisma Dauda Jatau told the Vice-Chancellor that the Union has noted with pride his style of leadership, especially in financial prudence and the rule of law.
It says his efforts in students welfare, staff welfare and academic quality assurance are very commendable, noting that the recent media campaign against the Vice-Chancellor was very unfortunate.
According to him, the Vice-Chancellor and, indeed, the University as an institution, did not deserve an unnecessary negative media publicity, a situation he described as highly regrettable to the image and integrity of the University.
He assured the Vice – Chancellor of SSANU’s support in any genuine effort at advancing the academic excellence of the University.
Similarly, the Chairman of NASU, Comrade Yusuf Yusuf who also paid a visit along with his EXCO, told the Vice-Chancellor that the union was puzzled by the recent escalation of negative media publicity that trailed the University over a Federal Government policy decision which was announced by the Pro-Chancellor to University based Unions but wrongly attributed as the initiative of the Vice Chancellor.
He assured the Vice Chancellor that the Union will always rally behind him in addressing challenges affecting the University.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Hassan Garba said he was overwhelmed by the solidarity and thanked them for their patriotism and foresight.
Professor Ibrahim Garba said that both the staff and students of the University have no pride to show more than to see ATBU progressing in its mandate as a revered citadel of learning.
He said that his administration believes in financial prudence and academic justice, and the myriad of challenges facing the University cannot be handled lightly.
“When I assumed office, I met a very huge amount of debt on the University. I have been able to settle nearly one-third of that loan in the last few months I am here, without incurring any fresh loan at all, he says.
In the area of staff and students’ welfare, the Vice Chancellor said the University has refurbished five luxirious buses and are now on the road to ease students’ shuttle between Gubi and Yelwa campuses, with another 32-seater bus nearly ready to be added to the existing staff bus also to ease staff transportation.
“You may be aware that we have started refurbishing the eleven grounded tractors owned by the University. Six of them were made ready and are currently involved in this year’s farming season. Two more are almost ready now and the rest will have their refurbishing completed immediately after the next two are delivered “ the Vice Chancellor reveals.
“Our major aim is to support staff and members of the Bauchi community who are farming on our campuses with a subsidised rate charged at less than 30% of commercial rate in town”.
He also said that the management has proposed a seamless process of promotion exercise that will in the future eliminate or reduce to the barest minimum the issue of long period for implementing staff promotions.
According to the statement, the University Vice-Chancellor Professor Ibrahim Hassan Garba was of recent wrongly accused in the media by a certain Bauchi-based group of unilaterally and of misguiding the Governing Council of the University to close down the Faculty of Management Sciences and certain courses in the Faculty of Technology Education.