Kogi varsity commences academic activities

The newly established Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH), Osara in Kogi on Monday commenced academic activities, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Salawu Sadiku, said this shortly after the Kogi State government formally handed over the newly constructed and renovated facilities to the university’s management in Osara.

He commended the state governor, Alh. Yahaya Bello, and the commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Mr Wemi Jones, for their commitment to the realisation of the project.

“We are very happy for the facilities handed over to us, most of which have been completed, while some are at an advanced stage of completion.

“In line with the directive of His Excellency, we would now map out our strategies and do all the plannings required to complete the remaining jobs or to add value to whatsoever you have given us today,” Sadiku said.

The VC noted that coincidentally, the handover of the facilities marked the beginning of the registration of students that had been offered admission as pioneer students of CUSTECH.

He stressed that it was good that the students’ registration commenced the same day the university’s management officially took over the facilities.

He assured that the management would continue to make life easy for the pioneer students.

The VC, therefore, appealed to the pioneering students to learn to cope with some of the present challenges at the campus.

He commended the ministry of education for her support, saying, “we want to put on record that the university is really proud of the state ministry of education as its parent ministry.

“We are of course answerable to you, so you can always draw our attention to whatever actions or inactions that you may think necessary to ask us to review.

“We will also not hesitate to draw you into our programmes from time to time with a view to receiving that matured advise and guidance from you,” Sadiku said.

In his remarks, the commissioner expressed his delight to hand over the facilities, and in executing and implementing the directive of the governor at the university.

He commended the governor for his vision and leadership traits to have initiated the monumental idea of establishing the institution.

Jones, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Pastor Emmanuel Idenyi, said the governor was highly interested in the immediate commencement of activities at the university.

“We are happy that the dream of His Excellency that started in December last year has been realised in the open today.

“I am happy because it is glaring that the VC himself and other management and staff of the university are zealous to commence activities.

“As we went around, we are also happy that we saw that some students are already coming in,” he said.

He assured the VC of the ministry’s continued partnership and good working relationship with the university.

“We are happy and assure you that we are going to work closely with you and support you because the governor has so much confidence in your capability to do this work,” he said.

One of the students, Mohammed Adeiza, expressed joy being one of the pioneers of the university and commended the governor for the gesture.

The facilities handed over include Administrative block, blocks of classrooms, Auditorium, Library, Multipurpose and workshop Laboratories.

Others are the ICT centre, School Clinic and Canteen blocks, Boys and Girls Hostel blocks, academic blocks, among others.