Pen Resource University Gombe Holds Maiden Matriculation
The Gombe State Deputy Governor, Manassah Daniel Jatau, has urged the management of Pen Resource University, Gombe to build on Pillars of teaching, learning, community service and research towards providing solutions to the numerous problems facing the society.
The Deputy Governor said this while addressing the gathering at maiden matriculation ceremony of students of the university at the school premises in lafiyawo, along Bauchi road.
Jatau who is also a Senior Lecturer with Bingham University reiterated that in the face of ugly events and happenings in the society, investing in educational development is vital to addressing most of the challenges towards a better society.
He said, “I want to commend he Proprietors for the vision , sacrifice, efforts and perseverance Committed into the establishment of the first private University in Gombe State, the Pen Resource University, Gombe. This has by far complemented our efforts in bringing and delivering quality education to our people. Like any other University and other higher Institutions of Learning the world over, teaching, and community service are expected to be two of the pillars of this University. Furthermore, in the face of events and happenings in our environment, the third pillar which is research must be pursued with all vigour to ensure that we arrive at solutions to the numerous problems in the society.
“Educational investment and development is one of the key and cardinal objectives of delivering the fruits of democracy to our people. The State Government has invested greatly in education. We have also created the enabling environment for private investment in education and all other areas of human endeavours. Today we can say that we have achieved part of our aims and objectives with the coming on board of this prestigious University, the Pen Resource University, Gombe.
“Be assured that the State Government will share your vision, mission and values for which this University was set up. I am happy that based on what I have seen; attainment of its goals will be done in accordance with the best practices. This is particularly so as KNOWLEDGE, INTEGRITY and EXCELLENCE are your watch words and guide.
“I commend the students who are matriculating today. Permit me, however, to pinpoint that right from now you should start thinking of how you work on graduation and not where you will work. Let me state that for those waiting entirely for white collar employment in organisations or bureaucracies are not only “waiting for the train that will not come, but they are at the wrong station”. Therein lies in the challenge to you students of this prestigious University, to manifest the difference from products of non-functional educational institutions.”
“To you parents, I want to assure you that you have made the right choice in sending your children here. They are in the hands of people of impeccable character who also have a long standing experience as educators. Your children will also learn under the peaceful and progressive canopy of the Gombe State Government.While congratulating the Proprietors for this great support to the development of humanity, I wish the students good luck in their educational pursuits.”
“The University has not come as a surprise to the State Government as we have keenly observed the establishment, rapid and successful growth of the Pen Resource Academy, which is made up of Nursery, Primary and Day and Boarding Secondary Schools. The Pen Resource Academy has brought several laurels and awards to our State and has also contributed to the academic development of our children. This great feat recorded by the Academy would not have gone without producing a University.
I want to commend the Proprietors for the vision, sacrifice, efforts and perseverance committed into the establishment of the first private University in Gombe State, the Pen Resource University, Gombe”, he further said.
Also speaking, Pro Chancellor of the University, Dr. Sani Jauro, explained that the journey of the university began 25 years ago when the Proprietors started with a Nursery School, then Primary and Secondary School.
He said the intention to start from the scratch was deliberately to ensure steady progression into a world Class educational games institution, pointing out that their target is to be amongst the best ten Universities in the next ten years.
Sani appreciated the goodwill, trust and support of the people of Gombe State assuring of leaving up to the expectations of the people.
Earlier in his address, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Ogbaji Ogoli, said the Proprietors have a long and outstanding tradition of investment in education, having began with primary, to secondary and university.
He said, “The University is anchored firmly on their experience, wisdom and rigorous foresight. Its approval, infrastructural development, resource verification and commencement of academic activities though daunting, was equally seamless. Today we are matriculating 330 students in the faculties of Law, Science and Computing and Communication. Management and Social Sciences. They are being matriculated into 19 academic programmes. We are happy to announce that all our programmes successfully passed all the NUC resource verifications. Equally, our Law programmes have gotten approval by the Council for Legal Education.
“Today we are matriculating students who will be brought up in character and learning to serve the society with skills that will be needed for the development of humanity at this time and beyond. Our students will be taught full time: no day or period will be lost. All lectures and practical classes will be performed and, there will be timely release of examination results. We are fully conscious of the fact that parents or guardians need this information to enable them make future plans as their children make progress in academic pursuits. We will be using a hybrid educational programme, which will involve changing the current subject-centered curriculum to competency-based curriculum. We are going to develop the basic competency skills of our students, and create opportunities for them to enhance their learning and evaluate their lecturers’ abilities. The University will adopt any support system to promote Life Long Learning (LLL), set up ubiquitous learning systems (e-Learning, the PRU OCTOPUS). These innovations will put on track the role and functions of universities as new engine for sustainable economic growth in Nigeria and the world at large.
“We support Internet-based learning to complement classroom and home. learning and enhance self-directed learning capabilities. The faculties use seminars, joint research collaborations, e-Leaming as well as mentorship to encourage staff development. research and publications in reputable and well cited/ranked journals to enhance our immediate and future national and global impact.
“At PRU, we prioritise the versatility of our students; hence we have programmes in place which our students can tap into irrespective of their primary disciplines. Key among these programmes are the CISCO Academy Training. We are also establishing research and development centres such as the Centre for African Medicinal Plants, Neglected foods and Propolis Research: Centre for Entrepreneurial and Business Studies and the PRU ICT and Innovation Centre. We also have in the pipeline, a Centre for Pre-degree and IJMB programmes. While these programmes are not compulsory for students to enroll in, the Management strongly encourages students, parents and guardians to take advantage of them in order to benefit from the competitive advantage and creativity to fit into our fast and ever evolving economic and work environment.”
“We plan to give a boost to the Northeast economy by nurturing qualified human resources of university graduates through our enhanced curriculum. Therefore, we will not only teach what we know best or what we were taught or what we enjoy teaching or what we have experience with or what the textbooks happen to include but also what the students need for self- employment and societal engagement. Our curriculum which is innovatively and extensively developed will ensure teaching what should be taught (eg, the latest skills and concepts, utilising modern equipment). Presently we are a Cisco certified Centre to teach and train our students in computing skills leading to international certification and recognition. With the approval of the National Universities commission, we are going to run a third semester to accommodate those who missed out on our first stream of admission and the first semester. Admission for the third semester is already ongoing and lectures for the third semester will commence in January 2023. This is to give admission and opportunity to our teeming qualified candidates who desire university education and may have missed out elsewhere” he stressed.
Goodwill messages came from the Board Of Trustees Chairman, Alhaji Umaru Maigari Gombe, Former Secretary to the State Government, Alh. Bala Magaji, Ambassador Yerima Abdullahi and Dr. Ali Gombe one time Chief Medical Director, Federal Medical Centre, Gombe, who commended the vision behind the institution.
