The Alumni President of the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University Lapai, IBBU, Umar Saba-Baba, on Sunday advised the Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, to stop treating University education with kid gloves.
The president made the advice while reacting to the postponement of the University’s second Convocation for the second time in six months by the governor.
Mr Saba-Baba noted with dismay how the state government has been non chalant in respect to the only state University matters.
According to him, the Convocation was first postponed late last year to 31 March this year, only to be shifted again for undisclosed reason four days to the event.
According to him, the University Management was already done with all preparation before the sad news yet again.
Mr Saba-Baba lamented that decision like these are capable of killing not only the morale and spirit of the University community but other stakeholders.
“Most of our alumni from far and wide had been on ground before the postponement. Some had to return while others remain on ground not certain on the new date,” he asserted.
He further explained that any government that is serious about development must not take issues of education lightly.
He, however, appealed to the state government to be more considerate and serious with tertiary education by way of proper funding, proper attention and good policy direction.
Meanwhile, Mr Saba-Baba admitted to the fact that this administration has done sizeably well by a way of little increase in subvention to the University being its financier.
The President then expressed concern over the new date which might affect the freshest graduates of 2017 who will be going to the camp by April, saying that they may eventually miss out on the Convocation.
He, therefore, pleaded with the government to take cognisance of this fact and allow the Convocation hold on time.
