Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has said that he will facilitate the establishment of satellite campuses of Benue State University in Benue North-East and South senatorial districts.
He said this is to bring education closer to the people and cater to the growing demand for higher education at the grassroots.
This was contained in a statement on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula.
Gov. Alia said, “This strategic expansion will enhance access to education and strengthen the university’s role in developing the human capital base across the state.”
He further announced the donation of five hundred computers to the university’s computer-based test centre. He also awarded a 100 per cent master’s degree scholarship to all the graduates who had first-class degrees.
He charged them to be good ambassadors of the institution and Benue State by upholding the values of integrity and hard work, arguing that success is not only about personal development but also positive impact on society.
The governor made the pronouncements on Saturday at the university during the combined convocation ceremony.
He informed that his administration had sent an executive bill to the Benue State House of Assembly for the renaming of the university as Reverend Father Moses Adasu University as a way of honouring the founder of the institution, saying he looked forward to when the university would break records and place itself on the global map of excellence.
Gov. Alia commended the management of Benue State University for the effective implementation of CEFTER with a promise to ensure the institution’s partnership with the World Bank is sustained towards handling post-harvest losses by revamping the Wannune Tomato Company and Taraku Mills to improve the economy of Benue while creating more job opportunities for the youth.
He called on youths, especially graduates, to take advantage of the numerous agricultural policies of his administration by venturing into farming. He stressed that the government would provide funds and all farm inputs free of charge to enable them to earn legitimate means of livelihood instead of continually looking for white-collar jobs, which he noted are not readily available for now.
Gov. Alia called on those who wish to further their education to remain committed to tasks of acquiring knowledge in the hope of offering solutions to societal problems and being a role model to their communities by using their education as a tool for positive change.