By Danzumi Ishaku, Jalingo.
Prof Sunday Bako, Vice Chancellor Taraba State University Jalingo has said that his administration is poised to establish an integrated entrepreneurship that would put the Taraba state university farm a model ranch operational in the country.
Prof. Bako, who resume as the VC in April 2022 gave the indication on Saturday while interacting with journalists in Jalingo.
The Varsity don said the integrated farm, when completed, would produce some of the farm produce consume within and outside the country locally.
“We have already commenced modalities to establish an integrated farm for the university to boss enterprenueship.
“This farm among many others things will make a model ranch, produce egg, feeds for fish farming and poultry feeds and make available most of those agricultural products we consume locally.
“We have already reactivated our backery and we have expanded it to be able to meet our supply demand.
“We have attain 80 percent in our table Water production factory, all machines have been acquired ready for installation.
“Our mushroom production will commence soon.
“All these are geared towards improving our internally generated revenue.
Prof. Bako further said TETFUND had lifted the suspension on the allocation of funds for staff scholarship in the Versity.
He said the university access for staff scholarship was suspended due to some infractions occasioned by some beneficiaries of the scheme in the past years.
“When I came the university was suspended for default on returns to the TETFUND, I engaged the TETFUND and they saw that my administration only inherited such defaulted tendencies.
“And as such the Executive Secretary graciously considered our situation and have given a waiver and we have submitted our application and request for new allocations on a staff scholarship in the TETFUND,’ he said.
The Vice Chancellor however, gave assurance that henceforth, beneficiary scholars would not be given the room for default.
He also said that he had set a mechanism for assigning the right people on the TETFUND desk who would work in line with the vision of the administration.
On his part, Prof. Bako said he would intensify monitoring and supervision of the TETFUND desk to ensure that the experience of the past did not occur.
He said his mission was to make the TSU an interpreneural university.
He also said his administration would build a strong ICT that would stand the taste of time.
“I come from a private university and I know many of private university that are interpreneural in nature and with that background, I will make TSU self sustainable and independent in financing itself.
“And as well I will build a strong ICT which is the hub of education now. We will develop an ICT where our students should be able to sit here and take lectures in London or UK and have two degrees, one from UK and one from TSU.
” And any time they wake up, on their laptops or phones, they can have access to any library any where in the world.
“They can take lectures from lecturers in UK without traveling to UK,’ Bako said.
The vice chancellor however, identified paucity of funds as the main challenge facing the implementation of his blueprint.
According to him, we cannot fold our hands and said because funds are inadequate therefore, we will not work. For me, there is no time.
“The first part of my plan was to face the issue of enterprise and to address the issue of IGR in two directions.
“One is to re,-channel all the university”s business accounts which were hitherto operated separately for prudence and accountability.
“My second plan is to build an enterprise for the university in which we are already on course,’he said.
