BY SEGUN ADEBAYO, ABUJA – The Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said the newly approved Nok University Kachia in Kaduna State is set to become a lighthouse of hope and rallying point for the generation of ideas about Nigeria’s common history, cultures and humanity.
Inaugurating the Board of Trustees and Governing Council of the newly approved university on Tuesday in Abuja, the erudite cleric expressed hope that the institution would be the labour room for the birth of a new elite for the nation
Bishop Kukah, who is the Chairman of the board, added that the Nok University would give birth to new Nigerian elites committed to building a great country, far from the shattered destruction of bigotry and hate that has engulfed the nation.
“We must renew and rededicate ourselves with greater commitment to the promotion of a new civilization of love through education.
“What we are doing here is an honour to those who have struggled to give birth to a new nation, a new people, freed from the slavery of war and seeking a common home.
“We hope and dream that this university will identify and replicate all the values of our diverse cultures and create a mosaic that can drive the future of our dear country,” the Bishop said.
He explained that the newly inaugurated board would oversee the policy formulation at the highest level of the university, listen to, and receive, matters relating to the welfare of students and staff.
The Bishop, who said members of the board would also oversee policy formulation, appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, for giving approval to the application to establish the institution.
Bishop Kukah also commended Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), for changing the face of tertiary education in the country in the last few years.
“It is to his (Prof. Rasheed Abubakar) credit that from the start to the end of the process of acquiring the license, everything took less than one year,” he said.
The Founder of the university, Chief Anthony Hassan, who holds the traditional title of Dokajen Jaba Chiefdom, Kaduna State, had earlier said that government alone could not meet the needs of candidates seeking university education, especially science courses.
..with additional reporting from NAN.
