The new Vice Chancellor (VC) of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Kabir Bala, on Thursday, took over the mantle of leadership of the institution in a brief ceremony.
Professor Bala was appointed VC at the university’s 189th special Governing Council meeting that took place on January 22, 2020 after emerging as the overall best in the selection interview conducted by the council.
The five-year tenure of the former VC, Professor Ibrahim Garba, expired on Thursday, April 30, 2020.
Receiving the handing over note from the Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Danladi Amodu Ameh, Bala urged staff and other members of the ABU’s community to promote unity and work together for the progress of the university, saying that all hands must be on deck to move the university forward.
He said his priority would be periodic review of ABU’s curricular, functional academic brief and the restoration of master plan for the development of the university.
He added: “We need to do a lot to catch up with the global trend. ABU had never had an academic brief. The last time we had master plan was in 1982 during the tenure of Professor Ango Abdullahi.
“We have to raise these questions because of ABU’s strategic position.
“Unfortunately, we are now in an academic and intellectual environment where we don’t want to ask questions for fear that we may be tagged as the enemy of the system. All we have now all over is mediocrity.
“When last did we have our discourse as a university?
“I could vividly remember when government would always rush to ABU to collect the analyses and recommendations after every public discourse organized by the then academics like Dr. Yusuf Bala Usman of blessed memory.”
Bala described the establishment of COVID-19 testing centre in ABU as heartwarming, advising members of the university community to continue to observe all the preventive measures against the novel disease.
He also promised to revive the committee system in order to ensure the smooth running of the university.
In his remark, Professor Ameh said Bala’s vast knowledge of the university would assist him in executing the “daunting” task of running the affairs of ABU.
A professor of construction management, Bala has served as HOD, Dean, Director and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) before his present appointment.
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