Kwara governor inaugurates governing council for new university of education

Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Saturday inaugurated the Governing Council of the Kwara State University of Education (KWASUED) ahead of the school’s official launch.

This was disclosed in a press statement on Saturday by the governor’s spokesperson, Rafiu Ajakaye.

He said the 11-member council has Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem (OFR), the former vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin, as its chairperson. Mr Abdulraheem is also the university’s pro-chancellor.

The council includes Iyabo Opaleke, Risikat Lawal, Rotimi Olujide, Umar Gunu, and Saad Belgore.

The others are Femi Aina; Omowumi Amuda; Kubra Kazum; Ibrahim Abikan; and Afolayan Babatunde, who represents the Ministry of Tertiary Education.

In an address to the council, Governor Abdulrazaq said the inauguration was another step in the evolution of KWASUED, which his administration established.

“This university is a child of necessity to position Kwara and its people for sustainable future in the sphere of education and related disciplines. This institution is designed to be a successor to the College of Education Ilorin and a test run for how we handle the remaining Colleges in the face of new realities,” he said.

“With the caliber of the intellectuals, administrators, and statesmen on this Council, I am confident that you will midwife a seamless transition and build a new university of education that will be the envy of all.

“As the pioneer governing council, I urge you to raise the bar from the beginning and resist the pressures to make the school another centre for unaffordable wage bill through needless jobs.

“Employment, if any, must be strictly based on needs and affordability with consideration for competence and inclusion in line with our policy. The school should be run in a way that it does not become another burden on the scarce resources of government. I trust you to make the KWSUED a centre of excellence, research, and academic discipline in pursuit of higher ideals.”

Meanwhile, the governor has appointed the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Alebiosu, as the university’s chancellor.

The inauguration was attended by the State APC Chairman, Sunday Fagbemi; Deputy Chief of Staff, Bukola Babalola; Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Mary Arinde; Senior Adviser and Counsellor, Sa’adu Salau;
Special Adviser on Special Duties, Abdulrazhaq Jiddah; Senior Special Assistant on Religion (Islam), Ibrahim Danmaigori; and Permanent Secretary Ministry of the Tertiary Education, Sabitiyu Grillo, among others.

Mrs Arinde commended the governor for establishing the institution.

The occasion marked a significant step in advancing the vision and mission of the university and in shaping the future of education in the state, she said.

Mr Abdulraheem, for his part, described education as the bedrock of any society, praising the governor’s passion for qualitative education at all levels.

He said the Governing Council will do its utmost to achieve the governor’s dream of building a university of education that would stand tall in Nigeria and beyond.

“Committing yourself to funding qualitative education is not just a political decision; it is more rewarding and you are discharging it very well,” he said.

“You are known for your disposition to gender sensitivity and balance, and that has reflected in the composition of this council.

“You also have never at any time given us any redundant person to work with. Once again, on behalf of all us, I’m very proud to be associated with this project and to be one of the lucky Kwarans to be called to serve in this kind of responsibility.”

The governor, meanwhile, has presented new buses for the use of students’ unions in the state. The beneficiaries are the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and the National
Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS).

The leaders of the unions, Issa Arikewuyo and Abdulwahab Ridwan, thanked the governor for the gesture.