The People of Jama’are Local Government Area of Bauchi State have begged the state government not to relocate the Bauchi State University campus sited in Jama’are, even as they organised a special prayer session for God to intercede on their behalf on the issue.
The People of Jama’are Local Government Area of Bauchi State have begged the state government not to relocate the Bauchi State University campus sited in Jama’are, even as they organised a special prayer session for God to intercede on their behalf on the issue.Speaking with journalists shortly after leading the prayer session held at the Jama’are central mosque, the Chief Imam, Mallam Harisu Dauda, said the prayer was special as it was aimed at praying to God to touch the hearts of those concerned not to relocate the campus which housed the Faculty of Agriculture of the university.
The cleric said that the importance of siting the institution in Jama’are cannot be overemphasized, saying that as it had brought development to the area as students from different places across the country are studying in the school.Dauda appealed to the state government to allow the faculty to remain in Jama’are in the interest of fairness and justice.
On his part, the secretary of Jama’are Development Forum, Saleh Ahmed Malle, said that they had been hearing rumours the Bauchi State government was planning to relocate the Faculty of Agriculture to another town.
He submitted that the approval given to the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TetFUND) by the state government for the immediate takeoff of the newly established Federal College of Education, Jama’are, gave credence to the rumours on the relocation of the campus from the town.Malle informed that the Jama’are community was in possession of a copy of the approval granted to TetFUND by the state government, signed by the state governor, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.
According to him, “With the approval granted for the takeoff of the FCE, it means that the Faculty of Agriculture will be moved away from Jama’are to another place even though such has not been communicated.
“Since the siting of the faculty in Jama’are by the administration of the former governor of the state, Isa Yuguda, the area has developed in all ramifications, particularly economic which has been boosted.”
Malle explained that the influx of students from across the country into the town had not only contributed immensely to boosting residents’ businesses but also made the town gain more popularity and attention.
He, however, suggested that should the government decide that the newly approved Federal College of Education take off from the premises of the university campus, the Faculty of Agriculture should exist side by side with the college.
According to him, this was possible since the premises were big enough to contain the two institutions, adding that TETFund could put up more structures there to accommodate both of them.
In his words, “If the FCE must take off from the Faculty of Agriculture, we don’t have problems with that, our demand is that the Faculty of Agriculture should be made to remain in Jama’are.
“The two institutions are for the development of not Jama’are LGA alone but the entire state. We are in support of educational development. That is the reason we are appealing to the state government to let the status quo remain.”
