Prof. Suleiman Bogoro, the Executive Secretary, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND), says the University of Jos had done “marvelously well in the areas of research and development.”
Bogoro, who spoke on Monday, after a tour of ongoing projects at the permanent site of the institution along Bauchi road, said that he was impressed with the institution’s prudence in the management of limited resources.
“The structures are not only massive but of high quality by any engineering standard,” the TETFUND boss, who was in the school to also chair its annual public lecture day, said.
He said that the Federal Government would soon release money for the completion of the institution’s library reconstruction project in view of its relevance to academic activities.
“However, I must say this, I have learnt of a particular desk officer in this University who refuse to release money to execute certain projects.
“Usually we use to have external agents who monitors and report to us how TETFUND approved projects that are being executed without the knowledge of the institution.
“Some of the head units and desk officers slowing the execution of some projects should desist from the act in order not to cut short federal government intervention programmes in this institution,” he warned.
The Vice Chancellor of University of Jos, Prof. Sebastian Maimako, expressed appreciation to the federal government through the TEFUND secretary, while requesting that he returns to inaugurate some of the completed projects.
Maimako, who described the guest speaker of the lecture as a renowned scholar who will dwell in his area of specialty, said UniJos community and the entire public have a lot to gain by listening to him.
The guest speaker and Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Gashua, Prof. Andrew Haruna, who spoke on “Linguistic Problem of National Integration: Plural loyalties in a Modernising State”, arrested the attention of the audience for about two hours of the lecture.
According to him, the multi-linguistic quality of Nigeria is not a liability but a market value, social tool and political might that should advance the entity of the country to higher frontiers.
Haruna, who laced his lecture with some unifying poems to drive home his message, said education is the bridge breaker that Nigerians should embrace.
The climax of the event was presentation of appreciation gifts to the guest speaker and the TETFUND scribe by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, on behalf of the institution. (NAN)