Kano State government is to establish an educational trust fund, KETFUND, to sustain its education sector, the state governor, Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, has revealed.
The idea is especially to guarantee the sustainability of the state University of Technology in Wudil and the new Northwest University.
The governor spoke during a visit to the temporary site of the Northwest University and stated that the government wants to avoid a situation where the institution begs for money in the future.
The governor stated that the administration learnt a lesson from what happened to the state University of Technology, Wudil, after he had left office in 2003, explaining that without adequate funding, the institutions can hardly stand on their feet.
He justified the stipulated school fee of N75,000 per student of the Northwest University and explained that the amount accruable will be used to finance some services of the institution. He expressed joy that the university project, which was conceived in less than two years, is now a reality.
Kwankwaso maintained that so far, the state government has spent about N6 billion in the procurement of facilities and infrastructure for the university, urging the staff and students not to squander the huge investment. He assured that the government has enough resources to continue funding the institution
“Our vision is to provide a world-class citadel of learning that provides practical education directed towards the training of highly knowledgeable, skilled and disciplined students”, the governor, who is the first visitor of the university, stressed.
On moral values, Kwankwaso tasked the lecturers to put the students on the right track, and warned the students against moral vices such as indecent behaviour, cultism, drug abuse and inappropriate dressing, among others.
He challenged the university authority to keep an eye on all students and lecturers, stressing that they should not hesitate to take disciplinary action against anybody found wanting in the institution.
The vice chancellor of the university, Dato Muhammad Razali Bin Agus, said the university plans to achieve a world class status by fostering international linkages with both national and international organisations, adding that the university will soon implement several programmes including community service programmes, multi-lingual competency and students/lecturers exchange programmes.
Earlier, the chairman, implementation committee of the university, Hafiz Abubakar, told the governor that the temporary site of the university has the latest teaching/learning facilities and equipment, expressing happiness that it had started the 2012/2013 academic session ahead of many established universities in Nigeria
ADEOLA AJAKAIYE, Kano
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