The Convener described the heights the Vice Chancellor have taken the institution to as unprecedented in quality teaching and infrastructure, urged her to sustain the feat.

He assured that Strategic Academic Mapping-PAAU would continue to improve on the knowledge of graduate by impacting them with skills to be self reliant.

In attendance at the visit were the two Deputy Vice Chancellors (Admin and Academics). Also the occasion had the Registrar and the Bursar in attendance.

The Convener and Team Lead, Alidu Ojonugbede Sam profusely thanked the Vice Chancellor for all she has done for the non profit organization.

The team also had in it’s company Prof Enegho Felix who is the Senior Advisor to the group, David Jagboro and Peter Salifu were all among the contingent. Students drawn from all faculties were welcomed by the Vice Chancellor at the University Senate Chambers.

Speaking, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Tenuche, commended the Convener, Strategic Academic Mapping-PAAU, Team Lead, Alidu Ojonugbede Sam for his good work, urged him to remain resolute in impacting skills on graduates.

Highlights of the event were the presentation of gifts to the VC and taking of group photographs.

… Announces Full Accreditation of Nine more Programmes, applauds Gov. Bello for all-round Support

The Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University, Professor Marietu Ohunene Tenuche, has warned staff and students of the University against “cultism, rape, extortion of money from students using class representatives, indecent dressing, among others”, as such would attract serious sanctions from the University.

The Vice-Chancellor who gave the warning at the 2022 Matriculation Ceremony of the University said the actions are capable of bringing ridicule to the name of the institution, State and parents.

Professor Tenuche explained that Senate decision to abolish the class representatives liaising between students and lecturers was being sustained, as the abundant ICT facilities in the 21st Century should be seamlessly deployed as a medium of communication between lecturers and students.

She therefore urged students to be in the “vanguards for the elimination of these vices on campus by reporting irregular behavior, serving as whistle blowers to expose ills on campus and as volunteers to serve in various Committees set up to root out all acts inimical to installing progress on Campus.”
She informed the students that the matriculation ceremony confers on them rights, responsibilities and privileges, in addition to certain limitations as full members of the academic community; most of which are contained in the students’ handbook.
She urged them to obtain copy and use it as a guide throughout the duration of their studies.

Professor Tenuche who announced that a total of 6,470 students were being matriculated for the 2021/2022 academic session, congratulated the students for the feat, adding that the University under her leadership would continue to carry out its required responsibilities to ensure their moral and academic fulfillment.

Part of such responsibilities, she stressed, was the engagement of the services of a combined team of the army, the police and members of the vigilante force working with the University security operatives who have restored sanity in the system.

The Vice-Chancellor urged the students to go about their activities without fear or hindrance, and accord due respect to all the security operatives, obey all rules and regulations and report any matter that could threaten peace on campus.

On infrastructures, Professor Tenuche said that the University has deployed facilities to propel students to compete globally; including well-stocked University main library equipped with books and resources that are adequate in terms of number and currency and provision of internet services which can be readily access internet services at the new and the old ITRC centers, the University Library, the computer laboratory in the Department of Mathematical Sciences, the Entrepreneurship Study Centre, the NIDATA Centre, the Law Faculty and all other academic areas in the University.

Added to Library development, she stressed is the effort directed at equipping all the laboratories with the support of the Kogi State Government and the TETFund.

Professor Tenuche added that with the support of His Excellency, the Visitor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, the University was able to renovate the hostels and that additional renovation works were still on-going.

She also said that the NEEDS Assessment Intervention has graciously provided the University with two additional hostels which are already available for the use of students.

She stressed that her administration would not relent in the efforts to make accommodation and the incidental utilities much better for students.

The Vice-Chancellor, however, decried a situation in which a high percentage of students have opted to stay off-campus, even when there are 1,835 bed spaces for female students and 878 Bed spaces for male students on campus.

She urged parents and guardians to encourage their children and wards to stay in the hostels, as in the long run, the risks associated with off-campus residence far outweigh the cost of their being resident in the hostels.

In a bid to ease movement from hostels to classes, in the academic areas and within the hostels at nights, the Vice-Chancellor explained that the University has provided more solar street lights, and that forty (40) of the new street lights were facilitated by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and One Hundred (100) from TETFund Intervention.

Professor Tenuche announced to the gathering that the University has again, emerged resoundingly successful with 100% full accreditation status, in the 9 programmes of the Faculty of Education it presented at the recently concluded National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation exercise; a development that has ensured that all courses on offer in the University are fully accredited.

She expressed gratitude to the Almighty God and appreciated the invaluable contributions of the Visitor, His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr) Yahaya Adoza Bello and the effort of all other stakeholders in recording the feat.

The Vice-Chancellor also stressed that her administration has invested resources and time towards developing sporting facilities on campus as a means of keeping staff and students healthy, provide facilities for relaxation and taking students minds away from criminality.

The facilities, she explained, include lawn tennis courts, squash courts, badminton courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, state of the art pavilion, handball court, etc.

She added that the efforts in this regard have started yielding results as the football team has emerged as one of the hottest contenders for the Nigerian Universities Football League title and the Nigerian University Games (NUGA) Football title, while the Beach Volleyball team won the maiden beach Volleyball game at the recently concluded NUGA hosted by the University of Lagos.

She further informed the gathering that the University administration was committed to the ideals of His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr) Yahaya Bello, Executive Governor of Kogi State and Visitor to the University, whose vision is to bequeath to the University a conducive environment for teaching, learning and research, stressing that they are working assiduously and tirelessly to attaining that vision.

She applauded the Governor for consistently providing “generous and inestimable support through; payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), approval for replacement of academic staff that have left the system, cash backing of promotions, approval for the refund of all (100%) of the University’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), approval of release of funds for overseas treatment of a member of staff whose life was threatened by a deadly illness and guarding the system to ensure adequate security and an unbroken academic calendar, among others.

The Federal Scholarship Board, a Department in the Federal Ministry of Education, has granted scholarship worth two hundred and fifty thousand naira (N250, 000.00) each per session to eighteen (18) undergraduate students of the Prince Abubakar Audu University (formerly Kogi State University), Anyigba.

While presenting the letters of the scholarship award to the University, the representative of the Scholarship Board, Dr. Abdulkareem Gaminana, said the students secured the scholarship after passing the prescribed Computer Based Test organized by the Board.

He stressed that the qualification for the annual scholarship entry is a minimum CGPA of 4.00, adding that the beneficiaries would continue to enjoy the scheme throughout the period of their studies.

He further explained that the Board would be doing continuous verification of the student status of the beneficiaries on yearly basis before the benefit for each session could be released.

Dr. Gaminana also added that the scholarship is opened to postgraduate students, with Masters students entitled to three hundred thousand naira (N300, 000.00) and PhD students, three hundred and eighty thousand naira (N380,000.00) per session for a maximum of two sessions.

While presenting the scholarship letters to the beneficiaries, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Marietu Ohunene Tenuche, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Dr Daniel Atidoga, congratulated the students for doing the University proud, stressing that the award was a reflection of their diligence and commitment to studies.

She urged the beneficiaries to continue to do the University proud by showing excellent commitment to their studies, adding that the University would continue to provide enabling environment for students to excel.

She urged the students to use the scholarship for the purpose it was meant for, as it would go a long way in reducing the burden on their parents.

The Vice-Chancellor also urged other students in the University to work hard to project the image of the institution positively through exhibition of positive competitive spirit on both national and international scenes.

Professor Tenuche also expressed gratitude to the Federal Ministry of Education for providing the scholarship opportunity and stressed the determination of the University to continue to nurture young talents who do the nation proud.

She also appreciated the Kogi State Government under the leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, for the provision of enabling environment for the sustenance of the University.

In their response shortly after receiving their offer of award, the students who are drawn from across departments and faculties in the University, thanked the Federal Scholarship Board for offering them the opportunity and promised to continue work hard and do the University and their parents proud.

They also thanked the leadership of the University for providing them with facilities and other resources that have assisted greatly in advancing their studies.