Sen. Abdullah Adamu, former National Chairman of
the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that he established a university
to fulfil his dream of making quality education accessible to rural dwellers.
Adamu, who is the proprietor of Phoenix
University, Agwada, Kokona Local Government Nasarawa State, stated this when
the management of the university took traditional rulers from the state on a
guided tour of its facilities on Tuesday.
He said the establishment of the university in a
rural setting was part of giving back to the society thereby contributing his
personal quota to the educational development of under privileged people.
The former governor of Nasarawa State noted that
a majority of the country’s population resided in rural communities whereas most
universities were situated in urban centers and beyond the reach of many
people.
“My motivation to establish the university is not
to make money, but to see what impact I and my team can make in education, to
change the fortune and lives of our children and those yet unborn,” he said.
He pointed out that the location of university
was deliberately chosen to give opportunity to ruler’s dwellers who have been
finding it difficult to acquire western education.
“My father was born here in Agwada, and through
the instrumentality of administration, he was taken to Keffi where he acquired
education, married my mother and gave birth to me.
“I did not know Agwada until I was 17 years old.
My father later returned here (Agwada) to work because no teacher could stay due
to the primitive nature of the place.
“The establishment of the university is not just
in memory of my father but also to give these children (in rural communities)
the opportunity to come and learn,” he said.
Adamu appreciated the traditional rulers for the
visit to the institution and urged them to own it as part of their collective
project.
Speaking after the tour of facilities, Dr Shehu Yamusa III, the Emir of Keffi,
who led the delegation, commended the founder of the University Foresight and
huge investment in education for the benefit of children and future generation.
He expressed delight with the state-of-arts
facilities provided in the university with particular emphasis on the Robotics
and Artificial Intelligence (AI) laboratories, which he said was the way to go
in keeping with advancement in technology globally.
The royal father, however, urged the management
of the University to consider beefing up security around the institution giving
the security challenges facing the country.
He gave assurances that the traditional rulers will always do their best to
support the growth of the university in order to meet the objective of its
establishment.
On his part, the pioneer Vice Chancellor of the
University, Prof. Abdullahi Bala, said that arrangements had been concluded to
begin academic activities for the 2023/2024 session in March 2024.
“To qualify for admission into Phoenix
University, all candidates are expected to meet the Joint Admissions and
Matriculation Board (JAMB) minimum cut-off mark of 140.
“They should also possess five credit passes in
relevant subjects, including Mathematics and English in the Senior School
Certificate Examination at not more than two sittings,” he added. (NAN)
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