Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, Ex-Chief of Staff to former President Muhammedu Buhari, has given the reason he resigned as the chancellor of the Kwara State University, (KWASU).
Prof. Gambari, who served as KWASU’s pioneer chancellor when it was established in 2009, alleged that the state government did not provide subvention to the university for its first three years, leaving it to survive without an allocated budget.
He revealed this while giving his speech at the 7th biennial Conference of Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria, themed, “Effective University Governance: Role of Stakeholders,” held oon Tuesday in Lagos.
“I want to share with you one very sad experience as the as the pioneer chancellor of Kwara State University, for three years. The state government did not make a single subvention to that university and I quit as chancellor because I felt it does not make sense to have a state university where the state is not giving a kobo in subvention. It is like having a federal university and there is no budget for higher education in federal project.
“I hope the current pro chancellor will have better luck than me in getting it because I regard that as a high level of responsibility for that to happen,” he said.
He stressed that poor funding had continued to plague the growth of higher education in Nigeria, urging pro chancellors to seek other avenues to salvage universities from the siege of poor funding.
“Such is the terrain our state universities find themselves today but in diplomacy and economic development, there is a mantra often repeated: never let a crisis go to waste.
“As you deliberate on the many sub-themes that make up the major theme of your conference, it is my hope that you depart with a plan of actions amongst which includes how you make your institutions as competitive and attractive as federal universities and private universities. By doing so, ensure that you are able to retain some of your best faculty and staff and thus attract the best in the pool of eligible students,” he said.
The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by the commissioner for Tertiary Education, Tolani Sule, declared the conference open.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to education, saying that the state had established two other universities, totalling three.
“The systematic affairs in our state universities has resulted in unprecedented industrial harmony in a seamless academic calendar and partnerships with private bodies and organizations in the provision of infrastructure and facilities to our universities,” he said.
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