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The management of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, has pledged to adopt financial prudence and academic justice in addressing the institution’s challenges.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ibrahim Garba, gave the assurance when officials of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union paid him a solidarity visit in his office on Wednesday.
Garba, who expressed delight over the visit, said the university community’s pride lay in seeing ATBU progress in its mandate as a citadel of learning.
According to him, his administration inherited a huge debt profile but has succeeded in offsetting nearly one-third of the loan without taking additional credit.
“When I assumed office, I met a huge amount of debt at the university. I have been able to settle nearly one-third of that loan in the last few months without incurring any fresh loan at all,” he said.
On welfare, the VC disclosed that five luxury buses had been refurbished to ease students’ shuttle between Gubi and Yelwa campuses, while a 32-seater bus was also being prepared to support staff transportation.
He further revealed that six of the 11 grounded tractors owned by the university had been refurbished for this year’s farming season, with two more almost ready.
The intervention, he explained, was to support staff and members of the Bauchi community farming on the campuses at subsidised rates of less than 30 per cent of commercial charges.
Garba also announced that management was working on a seamless promotion process to eliminate delays in staff promotion exercises.
Commending the university community for its support since he assumed office, Garba assured that his administration would continue to uphold transparency and justice in running the institution.
Speaking earlier, the SSANU Chairman, Comrade Sulisma Jatau, praised the VC’s leadership style, particularly in financial prudence, staff and students’ welfare, and academic quality assurance.
He, however, described a recent media campaign against the VC as regrettable, noting that the institution did not deserve negative publicity.
Similarly, the NASU Chairman, Yusuf Yusuf, faulted the escalation of negative reports linking the VC to a Federal Government policy decision on restructuring some faculties and courses.
He explained that the decision, announced by the Pro-Chancellor, was wrongly attributed to the VC, leading to the controversy.
Both unions assured Garba of their continued support in his efforts to reposition the university.
PUNCH recalls that a Bauchi-based group had accused the VC of unilaterally misleading the Governing Council to shut down the Faculty of Management Sciences and some courses in the Faculty of Technology Education, a decision later clarified as a directive from the Federal Government.
