The immediate past Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Abubakar Adamu Rasheed, has opened up on the reasons why he left the commission to continue his lecturing job at Bayero University, Kano (BUK).
Rasheed, a former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, had last week announced his voluntary resignation from NUC, three years before the expiration of his tenure.
He had said openly that he wanted to continue lecturing at BUK. He was BUK VC when he was appointed to head the universities regulatory body by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
But speaking at a reception organised by the university to welcome him back, Prof. Rasheed said he left the position so he will continue lecturing until his retirement age. He said, “All my life, the best job I cherish is lecturing. But, along the line, things do come up that necessitate me to leave the university environment.
“I once left for six years to lead the defunct New Nigeria, but resigned voluntarily for the university, this time also, I left NUC for the university so I can retire there, despite having more than three more years to the end of my tenure,” he explained.
The don also said on leaving the NUC, a private university has offered to be paying him millions of Naira if he agrees to work with it, but he declined because of BUK, which is so dear to him. Asked why Nigeria witnessed the proliferation of private universities, Prof. Rasheed said the country still needs even more public and private institutions to cater for the annual admission needs of the country.
“The ones we have should be expanded, while new ones need to be established because they are never enough,” he added.
Also speaking at the occasion, the BUK VC, Prof Sagir Adamu Abbas, who described Rasheed as the architect of modern BUK, said his presence at NUC has helped the university to achieve its presence status.
“As the Executive Secretary of the NUC, Prof. Rasheed has helped BUK in many ways, including in connecting us with high profile personalities in Abuja. That is why it is heartbreaking for many of us when he decided to resign before the expiration of his second tenure, but we have to respect his decision. We are glad to have him back to BUK,” Prof Abbas added.
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