The Bishop of Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Kukah, has inaugurated the Board of Trustees and Governing Council of the newly approved Nok University, located in Kachia, Kaduna State.
Kukah, who is the Chairman of the board, while inaugurating the body on Tuesday in Abuja, said that the institution would be the labour room for the birth of generations.
According to him, the institution will also give birth to new Nigerian elites committed to building a great country, far from the shattered destruction of bigotry and hate that has engulfed the nation.
He said that the university would become a lighthouse of hope and rallying point for the generation of ideas about the nation’s common history, cultures and humanity.
“We must renew and rededicate ourselves with greater commitment to the promotion of a new civilisation of love through education.
“What we are doing here is an honour to those who have struggled to give birth to a new nation, a new people, freed from the slavery of war and seeking a common home.
“We hope and dream that this university will identify and replicate all the values of our diverse cultures and create a mosaic that can drive the future of our dear country,” Kukah said.
He explained that the newly inaugurated board would oversee the policy formulation at the highest level of the university, listen to, and receive, matters relating to the welfare of students and staff.
He said that members of the board would also oversee policy formulation for all who would be called upon to run the university.
The bishop appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, for giving approval to the application to establish the institution.
Kukah also commended Prof. Rasheed Abubakar, the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), for changing the face of tertiary education in the country in the last few years.
“It is to his (Prof. Rasheed Abubakar) credit that from the start to the end of the process of acquiring the license, everything took less than one year,” he said.
Earlier, founder of the university, Chief Anthony Hassan, who holds the traditional title of Dokajen Jaba Chiefdom, Kaduna State, said that government alone could not meet the needs of candidates seeking university education, especially science courses.
“I considered the rate at which Nigerians were giving birth and the limited resources at the disposal of government.
“So, I decided to contribute my own quota towards the development of education in Kaduna State in particular, and Nigeria in general.
“The goal is to ensure that the younger ones who are seeking admission will be able to gain admission and read the courses after their hearts,” he said.
He said that the university was named after the rich history of Nok culture known worldwide.
“No one who hears the name will ask of the location of the university because the Nok culture has existed for over 200 years.
“Since we conceived the idea of the university and applied for approval, we have received calls from all over the world.
“There are some Germans who wanted to develop Nok culture but because they don’t have people who will support them locally, they decided to keep their resources.
“But shortly after I started this project, they indicated interest to bring in their resources to develop the Nok culture,” he said. (NAN)
