Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has inaugurated the Governing Council of the Kwara State University of Education, clearing the path for official take off of the school.
The 11-member Governing Council has Prof. Shuaib Oba Abdulraheem (OFR) as its chairman and pro-chancellor.
Other members of the Council include Mrs. Opaleke Bukoĺa Iyabo; Hajia Risikat Lawal; Rotimi Samuel Olujide; Prof. Umar Gunu; Engr. Saad Belgore; Mr. Femi Aina; Omowumi Amuda; Hajia Kubra Kazum; Prof. Ibrahim Abdukadir Abikan; and Pastor Afolayan Joseph Babatunde, who represents the Ministry of Tertiary Education.
In an address to the Council led by Prof. Oba Abdulraheem, Governor Abdulrazaq said the inauguration is another step in the evolution of the KWASUED, an initiative of the administration.
Governor Abdulrazaq said the University is a child of necessity to position Kwara and its people for sustainable future in the sphere of education and related disciplines.
He explained that the institution is designed to be a successor to the College of Education Ilorin and a test run for how to handle the remaining Colleges in the face of new realities
The Governor expressed confidence with the caliber of the intellectuals, administrators, and statesmen on this Council fo midwife a seamless transition and build a new University of Education that will be the envy of all.
He urged them to raise the bar from the beginning and resist the pressures to make the school another centre for unaffordable wage bill through needless jobs.
According to him, employment, if any, must be strictly based on needs and affordability with consideration for competence and inclusion in line with the policy.
Governor Abdulrazaq the school should be run in a way that it does not become another burden on the scarce resources of government and expressed trust in them to make the KWSUED a centre of excellence,research, and academic discipline in pursuit of higher ideals.
The Governor, meanwhile, has appointed the Olupo of Ajase-Ipo Oba Ismail Yahya Alebiosu as the Chancellor of the school.
In her remark, State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mary Arinde commended the Governor for his visionary leadership that birthed the unique institution.
Dr Arinade maintained that the occasion marks a significant step in advancing the vision and mission of the university, and in shaping the future of education in the state.
She thanked the Governor for his unwavering commitment to the educational development of the state, and for making the right choices in the appointment of the Council members.
Responding, Prof Oba Abdulraheem, appreciated the Governor’s vision and commitment to take Kwara to a greater height.
Prof. Abdulraheem described education as the bedrock of any society as the Governor’s passion for qualitative education at all levels is very significant.
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.
The Governor, meanwhile has presented new buses for the use of the students’ umbrella bodies in the state — National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Kwara State axis, and the National
Association of Kwara State Students (NAKSS).
NANS Comrade Issa Abdulgafar Arikewuyo and his NAKSS counterpart Abdulwahab Ridwan, in their separate remarks, appreciated the Governor for the gesture and other student-friendly initiatives.
The inauguration was attended by the State APC Chairman Prince Sunday Fagbemi; Deputy Chief of Staff Princess Bukola Babalola; Commissioner for Tertiary Education Dr Mary Arinde; Senior Adviser and Counsellor Sa’adu Salau;
Special Adviser on Special Duties Alhaji Abdulrazhaq Jiddah; Senior Special Assistant on Religion (Islam) Ibrahim DANMAIGORO; and Permanent Secretary Ministry of the Tertiary Education Barrister Sabitiyu Kikelomo Grillo, among others.
