In this interview, the vice chancellor of Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, Prof Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi, discusses the un...
In this interview, the vice chancellor of Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, Prof Armaya’u Hamisu Bichi, discusses the university’s phenomenal growth.
Five years
after, how have you fared as the vice chancellor, Federal University of
Dutsinma?
I thank Almighty Allah for bringing
me this far. The past five years have been truly remarkable. When I assumed
office, the university had only three faculties and 20 academic programmes, of
which just three were fully accredited by the National Universities Commission
(NUC). Upon taking office, I engaged the NUC for a resource assessment.
Following their visit, all 17 additional programmes received full
accreditation. With this success, I sought and obtained NUC’s approval to
establish the School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS). After another resource
assessment by the commission, our postgraduate programmes were found
satisfactory, and we were granted permission to commence. Two years later, the
NUC returned for accreditation, and all the postgraduate programmes were fully
accredited. Subsequently, I approached the NUC again to increase our student
intake capacity. They approved an increase from 500 to 1,800 students, enabling
us to admit as many students as our infrastructure could accommodate. I also
directed all departments to develop new academic programmes. From the initial
20 fully accredited programmes, we now have over 80, all with full NUC
accreditation.
The university’s educational
structure has expanded significantly – from three faculties to 14. The most
recent additions include the Faculties of Health Sciences, Technology, and
Nursing Sciences. We also upgraded the School of Postgraduate Studies to a
full-fledged College of Postgraduate Studies. In addition, we established the
Continuing Education Centre (CEC), which began with fewer than 100 students.
Due to consistent growth and improvement, we sought the Senate’s approval to
convert the CEC into a school and then into the College of Professional and
Continuing Studies. As of today, the college has over 7,000 students and
operates branches in Katsina, Kano, Kaduna and Abuja.
When the university began, we had
less than 2,000 students. Today, including Postgraduate and Continuing Studies
students, we have over 40,000.
On the infrastructure front, we have
constructed several major facilities including the College of Medical and
Health Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Renewable
Natural Resources, Faculty of Agriculture as well as multiple classrooms and
lecture theatres. Additionally, we have built two student hostels, with several
others under construction – about 80 percent complete. I am optimistic that
within the next two to three months, before the end of my tenure, these hostels
will be fully completed, furnished and ready for use.
Most FUDMA
staff commend you for prompt promotion and increased staff welfare. What
informed your decision to do that?
When I came on board, I encountered
a lot of backlogs in promotions. So, I ensured that all promotions were done in
record time. And in less than three months in office, the backlogs were
cleared. When I put more pressure on our staff to work hard and maintain our
academic calendar, I found out that the only thing that will make them work is
to motivate them. What is the motivation? When we were paying salaries, we made
sure we did it regularly. However, when it moved to IPPIS, there was nothing we
could do about wages. Next is the
promotion, which the members of staff want and demand. We ensure that anybody
who works hard gets his/her promotion as due. I think 80 percent of the
professors at this university got promotions during my five years in office. I
can’t say the numbers because even this year, 50 people are going for the
professorial cadre, and 95 percent have returned positive.
How did you get
funds to accomplish all these achievements you mentioned?
When I came on board, we found many
areas where we could generate more money for the university. We are trying to
turn our Entrepreneurship Development Centre into something that could generate
money for the university. We have started with sachet water production and now
we want to start bottling it; we have the university farm that is also
generating money, and then the main source of the IGR is the student’s
registration fees; the Postgraduate, College of Professional Continuing Studies
and SIPS as well as the undergraduate students. We also get intervention from
TETFund and the yearly budgetary allocation. We enhance all of this for the
development of the university.
What informs
your decision to pursue arbitration and negotiations to dispose of litigations
against the university?
When I took over, there were a lot
of crises at the university; the university had been polarised. So, when I came
on board, I ensured we brought everyone under the same roof. I told them all to
take and think ‘one FUDMA,’ as FUDMA is our university, and we have no other
university than FUDMA. So, we must stay here and celebrate FUDMA and make it
work. Many of our staff forgot most of the issues and concentrated on moving
FUDMA forward. Then, on aggrieved people who have taken the university to
court, from students to staff, I invited the Legal Directorate, headed by the
university’s legal and industrial relations officer, who advised the university
on the best way to go with the cases. We called all the people involved and
dialoged with them. So, we sorted out more than 95 percent of the cases which
were all settled out of court.
As VC, you
worked with many governing councils, all of which you worked harmoniously with.
What is the magic wand?
Great leaders head the councils and
have great people among them as members who have wide and varied experiences
with the university system.
So, anyone who comes, we sit
together and discuss the vision and mission of the university; what has been
done and what could be done to transform the university to a greater height.
They listened well and offered advice; as the vice-chancellor, I also advise
them. We work together and we respect each other. They have been great.
There is a
restructuring going on in the university at the moment. What motivated you to
embark on that?
This is not the only time we have
restructured the university. When I came on board, we restructured. The
restructuring came to me after getting advice from the management. We talk at
management meetings and often, what I want is not what we do at the end because
I respect members’ views. I give everybody a fair hearing. So, once they
outnumber my opinion, I agree and do what they want and it comes as a
resolution of the management. So, we started from the department to the unit,
and the advice of the heads of that department or unit informed everything we
did. Meanwhile, we decided in the best interest of the university.
Insecurity is
one of the most significant challenges you have faced in your university
administration. How were you able to cope with this challenge?
The issue of peace and security is a
collective responsibility and we have all done our best in collaboration with
the security agencies. Everybody should continue praying because prayer is the
most critical factor in this issue. We keep praying for peace to reign in the
school, in the Dutsinma community, in Katsina State and in Nigeria in general.
I think prayer is the most important thing that has kept us well and alive
until now.
What challenges
did you face in your 5-year tenure?
Honestly, there were challenges, one
of which is the issue of insecurity. The challenge drew us back to the point
that no activities could take place at the main campus and anytime a staff or
student is kidnapped, I feel the pain, and the pain continues until we get them
released.
Also, when there is instability,
when the school is divided into many camps, this one is for this person, and
that one is for that person, I feel nasty and bitter. However, when we resolve
the issue, I feel good. Another challenge is the lack of enough funds to run
the university’s affairs which delays progress. Overall, I thank God for having
a successful tenure and history will judge us for what we have done or what
successes we have achieved.
What would you
like to be remembered for in FUDMA?
The stability we have achieved
during my tenure, the peace, the increase in the number of projects we have
done, the rise in the number of staff and students and the way FUDMA is being
cherished by everybody as one of the best and fastest-growing universities in
Nigeria. I want to be remembered for all these developments/ attainments.
Any message for
the university community?
My message is for us to continue to
live in peace, to embrace whoever comes in as the new Vice Chancellor, because
that is the one who God selected. There should be no division. Many are
contesting but who won is the one God chooses. We should rally round him,
support him; maximum support from staff and students should be extended to him.
Support and prayers are what the new Vice Chancellor needs so that he can
succeed. This is because if he fails, the University will experience failure
and if he succeeds, the success would impact the University positively. We
should pray for him to be more successful than me, and more hardworking than
me. As for me, the next step is whatever God gives me, I will take it
wholeheartedly and continue to praise Him and glorify Him.
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