The Vice Chancellor, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Prof Suleiman Bala Mohammed, has said the institution will commence College of Medicine and Health Sciences as well as the Faculty of Engineering in 2021/2022 academic session.
Bala Mohammed stated this when he led other management team of the university before the state House of Assembly Committee on Education on the institution’s 2021 budget assessment in Lafia on Tuesday.
Mr Zakka Yakubu, Mr Emmanuel Alidzi, and Mr Mohammed Sani Bala, the State Accountant General, Permanent Secretaries, Ministry of Finance and that of Education were present during the oversight function.
The vice chancellor said arrangement for the take off of the two programmes in the institution has reached advanced stage with target of next academic session.
“The establishment of College of Medicine and Health Sciences and Faculty of Engineering are scheduled to take off in the 2021/2022 academic session.
” As top class academicians and industry players/ professionals were appointed into steering committees for the take off of the programmes,” he said.
Bala Mohammed commended the committee for supporting the activities of the university to succeed.
He has also appreciated Governor Abdullahi Sule for giving adequate attention to the university.
Bala Mohammed, however, identified the challenges facing the university to include insufficient funds for staff salaries, unremitted funds by various channel of school fees collections and insufficient budget provision.
The VC assured of his continued determination to ensure that the standard of education was maintained in the institution for the overall development of the state.
Earlier, Hon Daniel Ogazi, the Chairman, House Committee on Education said the committee invited the institution in order to know its 2021 budget performance as well as other emerging challenges facing the institution with a view of fashioning out ways to address them.
Ogazi assured of the assembly’s readiness to give the institution the most desired attention it deserves.
“Nasarawa State University is the only industry we have so far in the state.
“We will give it all the necessary support to succeed and it is on this note that we call on the state government to give the institution all the attention it deserves especially in the area of funding,” he said.
Hon Ogazi also said the Nasarawa State House of Assembly is supporting the location of the Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital at Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) Lafia considering its proximity, benefits and other advantages associated with the location.
The chairman of the committee urged the state government to take over payment of core salary of the staff of the state university keffi.
Also speaking, Mr Zakka Yakubu, the state Accountant General said the state government is working hard to take over the salary of the core staff of the university for improved standard of education among other sundry issues affecting the institution.
