The land and the people of Jos are seen as good to be with. In the history of Nigeria, Plateau has produced lots of statesmen in the academic field, people who are kind and fun to live with. Jos which is seen with the coldest weather in the country-Nigeria, the weather which drives people away, while the good deed of the indigenes and warm reception draws them back.
The University of Jos is situated in Plateau State with forty-five thousand students (45,000)
The students’ union president Comrade Danladi Joshua Adankala who is very hardworking in taking the University to a higher level spoke with All Campus Show (ACS) and said the former Vice Chancellor, Professor Sebastien Maimako is a student friendly Vice Chancellor, coordinated and agile to achieve success easily.
He also talked about the new Vice chancellor Professor Tanko Ishaya who was the deputy vice chancellor, academics and Professor of computer science and with that, he will be able to digitalize the school. As a professor of computer science, He will be able to make lectures virtual, giving room for no pandemic or any other challenge that might want to affect the school system.
However, visiting some of the works of the students union, the Danladi Joshua Adankala led administration; the SUG president of the University of Jos who worked very hard to put an end to the water crisis for the students on campus.
Comrade Danladi Joshua Adankala told ACS that his priority in the office as well as other SUG executives is the welfare and wellbeing of the students. "We are their representatives, we cannot afford to represent them in hardship, we are to solve their hardship and we are able to achieve that with the help of the former vice chancellor, Professor Sebastien Maimako who was a student friendly one.
To an extent that we could call him on anything regarding any challenge as regards students and he will respond immediately, if he cannot respond immediately, he will take his time to explain vividly why it is that way.
Though, the new vice chancellor, Professor Tanko Ishaya’s performance has not been seen and nothing about his administration has been heard since he became the Vice Chancellor, but we believe that with the landmark by the former Vice Chancellor and the assistance by the staff and students, he should be able to deliver his quota that will take the institution to the higher level.
Speaking with the former vice chancellor, Prof. Sebastien Maimako told All Campus Show: “My Administration was not oblivious to the fact that Students are the main reason for our being there and therefore it was our responsibility to cater for their welfare. Pursuant to this, we were able a create a synergy between the Students through their elected representatives and the University Management. During the period under review, several successful elections were conducted for the Students Union Government (SUG) with the various Student leaders serving their terms unhindered.
During my tenure as Vice-Chancellor, we made it a point of duty to treat the welfare of Students with all the seriousness it deserves. Some of the notable achievements recorded are as follows:
Construction of hostel accommodation for Medical students at Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) permanent site.
Construction of lavatory/Toilet facility near the Skye Bank Hall at the Naraguta Campus.
Construction of the entrance gate at Naraguta Hostel and the gate between block A and B of the New General Hostel Naraguta Campus and installation of solar security lights in the hostels.
Completion of fully furnished (i.e. with beds, chairs, reading tables, mattresses and curtains) Postgraduate Hostel with capacity of 252 students.
1,500 mattresses purchased for the Naraguta and Postgraduate Hostel
1,500 beds purchased for the Postgraduate Hostel
1,500 chairs purchased for the Naraguta and Postgraduate Hostel
1,500 BOOK SHELVES purchased for the Postgraduate and Naraguta Hostels
Renovation of the Naraguta Hostel Blocks A,B,C,D and Zion Blocks A and B
Online allocation of hostel spaces
Constructions of motorized Boreholes
Installation of Solar Street Light in all hostels
Refurbishment of School Buses which are now all operational, shuttling students from the hostels to the various campuses.
Successful conduction Students Union Government (SUG) elections
Synergy established between the SUG and the University Management
Facilitated the establishment of the sachet water production by SUG
Facilitated the donation of Juice and Grillade building
Provision of maximum support for all SUG projects and activities
Purchase of a Sienna and Peugeot 406 wagon vehicles for the SUG
Refurbishment of the Mazda bus of the Directorate of Students Affairs
Damaged seats in classrooms have been fixed and new ones added to improve on the learning environment of students. This has also made it possible for examinations to be conducted on stipulated dates without undue. Postponement.
In view of the fact that we experienced some security challenges in the hostels, the Female and Male Blocks in the Abuja Hostels were fenced and demarcated to mitigate such incidences. Also constructed were the entrance gate at Naraguta Hostel and the gate between block A and B of the New General Hostel. Furthermore, to complement security and social life in the Hostels, Solar Security Lights were installed around the Hostels. We also reinvigorated the Man ‘O’ War, who are working assiduously to stem the height of insecurity in the Hostels. These measures have gone a long way in ameliorating the security situation in the Hostels. Before the end of my tenure, we had to employ the services of the Hunters Association of Nigeria who availed us of their services to provide added security cover to our Hostels.
Water shortage was one of the most pressing problems facing the Students in the Hostels when I took over the mantle of leadership. The University water supply network had been inadequate for Students for a very long time. As such, motorized boreholes were constructed in all the Students’ Hostels. We also facilitated the renovation of water taps at the Village, Bank Road and Richard Road Hostels. We provided a new water Tanker to the Directorate of Student Affairs to ease water supply to the Hostels. These interventions stabilized the supply of water in the Students’ Hostels.
We facilitated the activities of the Students’ Union Government (SUG) by purchasing two vehicles, a Toyota Sienna for the SUG President and a Peugeot 406 Station Wagon for the Speaker of the SUG parliament. Apart from refurbishing the Mazda car at the Directorate of Students’ Affairs, we also facilitated the refurbishment of all the Students’ buses that are used to transport Students for their lectures. This has eased the transportation problem hitherto faced by Students.
When I took over the mantle of leadership, I observed that the process of Hostel allocation and management was done manually. The few Hostels that were available in the University could not cater for the number of Students applying for Hostel accommodation, thereby making the process difficult for the Hostel administrators. The process itself was time consuming and required too much effort. Students’ information retrieval was also difficult and records were unsecured due to manual method of storage being used. The way out was to digitize the process of Hostel allocation where Students could remotely apply online. While the migration of Hostel allocation online has reduced the difficulties encountered by both Students and Staff of the Directorate of Student Affairs, the process is still a work in progress.
I am glad that the Students demonstrated their gratitude by conducting their affairs peacefully with no major Students unrest recorded during the period under review.
I have always believed that a legacy is not something you leave behind, it is something that you leave in people hence the mantra of my Administration “Performance, Prosperity and Happiness”.
I just want to say how fortunate we were to have our Students and Staff drawn from diverse and divergent backgrounds which provided us with the quality experiences to achieve our aims and objectives. And how fortunate we are to have among our ranks, the many staff and students who brought their talent and expertise to bear towards the upliftment of Unijos as an institution.
The relationship between Lecturers and Students during my tenure was very cordial as I encouraged them to always work together as a united group towards making Unijos a significant player with respect to Education, Economic and Socio-Cultural Development, human welfare including the creative sectors. Because of this, our institution had all the opportunities needed to grow and flourish especially with such broadened perspectives.
My advice to Students generally is that we should all continue to work together, nurture and support each other and help grow the Nigerian Tertiary Education System as a dynamic, creative and innovative sector whose members live and work according to high moral standards and ethical conduct. They should always try to make themselves available to make their modest contribution towards creating innovative solutions that are relevant and impactful to our society.
Once more, I wish to register my profound gratitude to All Campus Show for offering such recognition to a common University Lecturer such as myself. I hope that this recognition of my work and service would serve as an inspiration to others in the field.
I wish to remind all Nigerian Students that if my work can make a difference, so can theirs.
Comrade Tongwe Bitrus Adams, the SUG President United school of Science and Technology(UNITECH) Jos, spoke to All Campus Show and said University of Jos is a Federal University in the North and one of the best University that produced men and women of timber and caliber across the country, therefore the challenges of the University of Jos like lack of proper fencing within the school and lack of security post in all strategic locations should be looked into by the government and the school.
However, Comrade Adams gave Kudos to the past Vice Chancellor. He said indeed he is a visionary leader. Academically UNIJOS is an excellent university with good professors, Doctor's and lecturers. Security and welfare of the students should be the primary purpose of government at all times. The government and management should give in their best for the Nigerian student In other to learn and achieve more.
