Needs Assessment Committee commends FULafia for quality projects
| By Yahaya Ahmed
Members of the Needs Assessment Committee (NAC) have expressed their satisfaction with the quality of executed projects in the Federal University of Lafia (FULafia).
The Needs Assessment Committee was established few years ago by the Federal Government for the purpose of intervention in critical areas of needs in tertiary institutions.
The sum of N20bn was set aside as revitalisation fund by the government for intervention in schools.
The NAC members were at FULafia to monitor and assess the 2013 ongoing and completed projects under the N20bn revitalisation fund.
The intervention mostly take place in the shape of procurement of furniture, theatres/seminar rooms/laboratories, teaching and training of university personnel on the utilisation and management of research equipment.
FULafia was commended for its quality of executed projects by the leader of the NAC team that visited FULafia Dr Nasir Fagge Isa, during the visit of the committee members to the vice-chancellor, Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman.
The visit to the vice-chancellor came after Isa has led his team members on an inspection tour of projects’ sites at the institution.
Isa, who commended the vice-chancellor for making sure that the institution adhered strictly to due process in all its procurement processes and ensured judicious utilisation of funds, said FULafia was among the best universities his committee had assessed.
“This is the fourth university among the twelve new universities we visited and, so far, this is where I have seen things done correctly,” Isa stated.
Dr Isa, the immediate past national president of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), expressed his satisfaction with structures and state of equipment he sighted.
He, however, appealed to vice-chancellor to ensure maintenance of the projects and equipment at the University, saying: “The need for maintenance of our equipment in the face of dwindling resources in the universities cannot be overemphasised.”
The members of the team, in FULafia, inspected the Anatomy Laboratory at the College of Medicine, Faculty of Social Sciences Lecture Hall and Faculty of Arts building.
Earlier, the vice-chancellor, Professor Shehu Abdul Rahman, who received members of the committee at his office, said that the University was committed to the principles of accountability and transparency in its dealings.
He stated that his administration would consider recommendations made by the NAC during its assignment in FULafia.
The vice-chancellor thanked the members for their diligent and meticulous work, wishing each safe journey back home.
