Bingham University, Karu, Nasarawa State, has inaugurated eight new projects worth N2.6billion as the outgoing vice chancellor, Prof Williams Qurix prepares to hand over.
The projects inaugurated include the university Senate building, multi-users laboratory, and Centre for Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Leadership Studies.
Others are the Faculty of Administration, expansion of Faculty of Law Library, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, and two sit-outs.
Qurix, who could not hide his joy, appreciated the university and the Board of Trustees for the opportunity to serve.
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He said non-interference by higher authorities and teamwork were part of the reasons he was able to stabilise the school and propel it to the success it recorded.
He said, “Sometimes, as a vice chancellor you would have challenges and your own idea and the way you want to go, but if there’s interference from higher authorities you won’t be able to do it. There was no interference in my own case and I was able to chart my course.”
The outgoing vice chancellor said that when he took over the affairs of the university they didn’t have all the resources, and in some cases, just very little, but with teamwork they were able to achieve much. “You cannot succeed as a vice chancellor if you don’t have a team to work with,” he said.
Qurix, however, said he encountered funding challenges when he took over as there was a huge debt of about N10billion with interest, making it N13bn. But he said, “We have paid N10bn out of the debt.”
He added, “We also had security challenges and people were worried. But we were able to surmount them, including infrastructural challenges. We still have challenges but we have substantially reduced them. Fortunately, we are on a better latitude now.”
He advised the incoming vice chancellor to build on what has been done, and where necessary, establish his own foundation so that he can build.
Meanwhile, the newly appointed vice chancellor, Prof Haruna Kuje Ayuba, is expected to take over from January 8, 2024.
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