…to procure 3 modern fire trucks, ratify projects

The Kogi State government has announced the approval of a state university, proposed to be located in the Kogi western senatorial district, attesting that the essence amongst many other things was the need to provide more educational facility for young university hopeful in the state.
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Making the announcement, the state Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Wemi Jones hinted that the process would involve the inauguration of a 15-man implementation

Committee, made up of Professors from all over Kogi State. He said the committee would be given the responsibility of drafting the university law, academic brief and the master plan adding that they would also be saddled with the task of recommending a suitable location and whether the university would be specialised or conventional.

The commissioner said ‘’It is expected that the committee will give its report within the next one month from the inauguration so that we can move as fast as possible as it would be the government’s desire to see the university kick off before the end of this tenure’’

Giving an instance the Commissioner narrated that during the last admission exercise at the Prince Abubakar Audu University there was a population explosion of prospective intakes as the school had over 25,000 admission seekers as against capacity intake of about 6,000 noting that even indigenes of the state were possibly deprived of admission or their intended course of study.

He recalled that one of the primary reason for the establishment of Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara was to mitigate the challenge of the state’s qualified students, not gaining admission to courses of their choices because of the fact that Kogi is regarded as a state that is educationally advantaged

According to him, Kogi West is blessed with tones of academia and highly known for education, hence putting a university in Kogi West, particularly Okun land is so apt

The Commissioner asserted that funding has been and would always be a challenge but the government decided to take the bull by the horn and make such audacious move, while he assured that the 15-man committee would be mandated to make recommendations on sources of funding for the approved institution

In his own briefing, the Commissioner for Works, Simon Bako hinted that the state Executive Council approved the procurement of 3 modern fire trucks as part of plans to ensure rapid responses and salvage any possible fire outbreak in the state.

He also noted that the Council received reports and ratified some of the ongoing projects across the state including the construction of internal roads at the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, itakpe – Okene – Total road which has both reached advanced stage of completion. The council also ratified additional work for Okene Township Road and the school of Nursery and Midwifery Obangede.

Speaking also, the Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed reiterated that the state government under the leadership of Governor Bello has remained consistent in delivering on the infrastructural development pledge made to the people of the state assuring that ongoing projects would be completed in due course.

The Human Capital Development expert and consultant, Dr. Victoria Daaor has urged the state Governors in the North-Central to buy into the idea of the school adoption and mentorship program of Kogi State.

The Human Capital Development expert made the appeal during the north-central Human Capital Development Regional Conference at Lafia, Nasarawa State

She stated that the state government and the ministry of education can reach out and appeal to the well meaning and the spirited individuals within the state to come invest in education that education is a very large and very complex project that only state can’t do alone

The expert stressed that recently, the Kogi State Government launched School Adoption and mentorship program through the ministry of education, Science and Technology and the program has impacted on the education growth in kogi state, pointing out that many philanthropist in the state have invested millions of naira to education through the program

We are pleased with yet another milestone out of our College of Nursing and Midwifery, Obangede. A couple of years ago we helped the institution achieve 100% accreditation of all courses offered with the various regulatory bodies, now we have added to the kitty with an HND in Nursing and Midwifery.

An important corollary to this achievement is that with the removal of the dichotomy between HND and formal university degrees by the Federal Government of Nigeria, our graduates from this course will be getting the equivalent of a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and Midwifery from any of the mainstream universities – only more hands-on and practical oriented.

It is important to us as an Administration to continuously expand both choice and access to academic opportunities for our youngsters in Kogi State, especially in the STEM courses. This always requires that we make significant investments in infrastructure and equipment in order to meet the instructional parameters for the various courses, but it is an obligation which we have happily embraced, not just in this school but in all our tertiary institutions across the State.

We consider such expenditure part of our suite of legacy projects in Education and we happily undertake them because they will continue to positively impact generations of young Kogites long after we have left the stage. It is also an ongoing transfer of our New Direction Blueprint from paper to practice.

In the same vein, we are working overtime to secure full accreditation of Medicine and Surgery at Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba before we hand over. To this end we have built and adequately equipped the PAAU Teaching Hospital located in the same town. It will give me great joy indeed when that one materializes soon.

The Confluence University of Science and Technology which we founded is also breaking new grounds daily – from new infrastructure to new courses to new facilitates for learning and recreation designed to enhance the whole study experience in the burgeoning university community.

To God be the Glory!

YAHAYA BELLO

Governor of Kogi State