‘My vision is to produce quality graduates and leave a good legacy’

The Vice Chancellor of the Aliero University of Science and Technology in Kebbi State, Prof. Bashir Ladan Aliero, spoke with AHMADU BABA IDRIS about his eight months in office and commencement of the School of Medical Science.

As Vice Chancellor, what is your mission and vision towards the development of Aliero University of Science and Technology?
I am from an academic institution and knew what the major problems of Nigeria universities are.

The first thing I did on assumption of duties was to know how the institution had been faring, in terms of the financial situation and departmental problems, to find lasting solutions to them.

I appreciate the importance of revenue generation, because being a state-owned university, we should be independent.

After that, I summoned all the university unions and held a meeting with them, both academic and non- academic staff, and later discovered that there were some pending issues such as, non-payments of their promotion areas and those of non-Governing Council members, non-accreditation of some courses and other related important issues.

Indeed, I raised the issued of Governing Board with the Governor Atiku Bagudu, which was setup and later inaugurated by the governor and is headed by Senator Muhammad Magoro.

There was also the payment of the three months promotion staff arrears.

Meanwhile, with the support of the TETFUND, we constructed more laboratories, renovated hostels and expanded the school clinic, among others.

How were you able to get some courses accredited successfully within this short period of your tenure?
It is by the will of God and support of the staff and the state government. After that, I called on the academic and non-academic staff to be committed to the university guidelines by being dedicated to the academic procedure for us to produce quality graduates from the school.

I had to follow the university and National Universities Commission (NUC) guidelines for the accreditation of courses. For that, we recruited over 100 academic and non-academic qualified staff to meet up with the NUC guidelines, without breaching the university’s guidelines and procedures.

We have a Governing Council that enabled us to do whatever we did and we followed due process, which made the state government to approve the recruitment to enable us meet the accreditation guidelines, because without the qualified staff, some course would not be accredited.

I assumed office by September last year but what I achieved now is more than what the previous administration did, with the support of TETFUND and the state government. I constructed the university’s e-library, procured science and technology equipment in the laboratories and constructed and expanded university clinic, as well as lecture halls and others.

My vision is to produce quality graduates and leave a good legacy and would want staff to stop making or believing fake news, but always verified their information.

When would the university’s Medical School take off?
The management of the university has concluded arrangements for the establishment of the Medical Science Department, since the institution, established during the administration of former governor, Senator Adamu Aliero, has grown to the high level where the school can be established.

The NUC has accredited some courses recently in order to boost the institution capacities and ensure quality education.

What are your challenges so far?
My major challenge is to ensure the good standard of education and bring unity among the staff.

But I commend the state government for its support and I want to assure the present administration of my commitment towards promoting the institution.