By JD
Gombe State Secretary to Government of Gombe State, Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, has described Professor Salisu Ali Rakum of the Faculty of Education, Federal University Kashere (FUK), as a rare embodiment of humility, dedication and resilience, as the don bowed out of active service at the age of 70.
Speaking at the first Valedictory Lecture of the Federal University Kashere, held on Tuesday, Professor Njodi praised Professor Rakum’s over four decades of commitment to teaching and educational development in Gombe State and Nigeria at large.
“Professor Salisu Ali Rakum represents the best of the teaching profession. His life and career are testimonies to humility, hard work, resilience and unwavering commitment to the development of education in his community, the state and the nation,” the SGS said.
Professor Njodi, who led a delegation of commissioners, directors and executive secretaries of government agencies to the event, noted that Professor Rakum’s legacy would continue to inspire future generations of educators.
Chairman of the occasion and Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Kashere, Professor Umar Ali Pate, also paid glowing tribute to the retired professor, describing him as a dependable and trusted academic.
“Working with Professor Salisu Rakum taught me invaluable lessons in time management and human resource administration,” Professor Pate said.
“He has been a pillar of trust, calmness in the face of storms, and a reliable personality who contributed immensely to the education of many generations.”
In their goodwill messages, the Mai Kaltungo, Engineer Saleh Mohammed Umary—represented by former Provost of the College of Health Sciences, Kaltungo, Dr. Saini Barka—along with former Chief Judge of Gombe State, Justice Hakila Y. Henan, former Justice of the Federal High Court, Justice Musa Haruna Kurya, and members of Professor Rakum’s family, commended him for his positive impact on society.
Delivering his valedictory lecture titled “Teachers and Teaching: Dissonance between Global Distinction and Nigeria’s Devaluation,” Professor Rakum lamented the declining value placed on teachers in Nigeria compared to advanced societies.
“In developed societies, teachers are respected and well catered for, but in Nigeria the situation is pathetic,” he said. “This neglect has contributed to underdevelopment, insecurity and the rising wave of crime in our society.”
According to him, sustainable development and peaceful coexistence can only be achieved through quality education, which depends largely on how teachers are treated.
“When teachers are ill-equipped, poorly motivated and inadequately remunerated, learning suffers. The result is half-baked graduates who lack the character, skills and attitudes required for nation-building,” he added.
Professor Rakum therefore called on governments, school proprietors and policymakers to increase budgetary allocations to education and prioritise teachers’ welfare.
“If we truly desire development, growth, peace and progress, we must invest deliberately in education and in the welfare of teachers,” he stressed.
The SSG was accompanied to the event by the Commissioner for Higher Education, Mohammed Shettima Gadam; Commissioner for Energy and Mineral Resources, Sanusi Ahmed; Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Abdullahi Haruna Abdullahi; and the Director of General Duties in the Office of the SSG, Balarabe Musa.
JD
IO
SGS Office
