By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi
The Bauchi state government has indicated it’s readiness to absorb the set of 25 medical students Saturday graduated by the management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) Bauchi to address the shortage of medical doctors in healthcare facilities in the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed said at the 26th, 27th, 28th, and 29th combined convocation ceremony at the Gubi main campus of the University that Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi has consistently been a beacon of knowledge and innovation, standing tall among its contemporaries in the country.
He noted that the institution’s commitment to excellence and pursuit of knowledge is evident, in its outstanding academic programs, as it has nurtured generations of leaders who have gone on to make significant contributions in various fields of human endeavor.
Mohammed stated unequivocally clear that the state government fully subscribes to the truism that education is the bedrock of progress and development, hence its unwavering commitment to enhancing educational infrastructure, providing scholarships and grants, and improving access to quality education for all.
The Governor explained that his administration’s commitment to the educational sector has been unwavering as reflected in the various policies and programmes so far implemented in the sector, particularly leveraging technology and robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to reduce waste and corruption in the educational system.
“Today’s momentous event marks a significant milestone in the lives of our graduating students, who have successfully traversed the challenging path of higher education, and are now ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the graduating students”, he said.
Governor Bala who described himself as an advocate of innovation, progress and development, said “In our commitment to fairness, the investment in educational reform and infrastructure will be distributed across higher institutions in the State”
“Additionally, we provided land and buildings to support the establishment of new institutions by the Federal Government in Azare and Jama’are. While acknowledging these achievements, we recognize there is more work to be done. That is why we have established a Ministry of Higher Education”.
“Due to the economic challenges faced by parents, we have restored and increased scholarships for Bauchi State indigenes by 50%, with plans for further increments as our resources improve. Furthermore, I have declared a state of emergency in the education sector, focusing on modernizing of curriculum to instill a Bauchi first consciousness and foster digital literacy for the benefit of students.”
Mohammed, who was represented by his deputy, Rt. Hon. Auwal Mohammed Jatau, reiterated his administration’s commitment to continue investing in the education sector, and creating an enabling environment for educational institutions to flourish.
He assured that the state government will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that all eligible citizens of the state have access to quality education to compliment the efforts of institutions in producing excellent graduates who will lead the society towards a brighter future.
He therefore expressed his deepest gratitude to each and every individual associated with ATBU for their relentless efforts in ensuring academic excellence and promised a continued mutual relationship between the institution and the state government.
The visitor to the University, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was represented by Mr Ocheido James of the Federal Ministry of Education, who assured that the federal government is now focused on creating an enabling environment for sustainable dialogue in order to bring frequent strike actions by staff unions in the Nigerian University system to a permanent end.
“I will like to inform you that the present administration is steadily and conscientiously studying the education sector, Including the tertiary Subsector with the view of finding a formidable blueprint for achieving greater success in service delivery.”
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