Commission decries acute accommodation shortage in ABU

The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) has decried the acute shortage of students accommodation at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria.

It also sought for increased funding for the institution to address this challenge.

This is contained in a statement by the Senior Information Officer of the commission, Malam Saiful Sada, issued in Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday.

Sada said the Team leader for the North-West Zone, Hajiya Maryam Iliyasu-Mohammed stated this when the team visited both campuses of ABU at Samaru and Kongo in Zaria.

He said the visit was in continuation of the commission’s 2018 physical verification of selected Federal Government’s capital projects in the geopolitical zone.

“Maryam, who is also the Director Planning Research and Statistics of the commission, observed that there is need for improved funding for the institution especially in the area of students’ accommodation.

“We observed that as at now, the school can only accommodate one-fifth of its students population which is grossly inadequate.

“She encouraged the university to ensure synergy between its procurement department and other units of the university.

“There is the need for better synergy and cohesion between the procurement department and other units involved in the budgeting process,” she said.

Responding, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ibrahim Garba appreciated the commission for fishing out the irregularities in the procurement department.

Garba, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics, Prof. Ezra Bako-Amans, promised to convey the message to the Vice-Chancellor towards correcting the identified anomalies. (NAN)