In a landmark decision, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Government to take over Nok University, Kachia, Kaduna State, and transform it into the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.
The directive follows a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja ordering the final forfeiture of the privately-owned institution to the government.
Speaking on Tuesday during the formal handover of the institution’s property and assets to the Federal Government by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) at the State House, Abuja, Vice President Kashim Shettima said the event signifies the administration’s commitment to inclusivity and national development.
This was contained in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Office of the Vice President, Stanley Nkwocha.
Shettima said: “This is a great day for the country and for Kaduna State. The greater credit should go to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for driving the process and making it the first item on the agenda of the Federal Executive Council.
“General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd) quoted Martin Luther King Jr. as saying, ‘People fail to get along because they fear each other; they fear each other because they don’t know each other; they don’t know each other because they have not communicated with each other.’ I dare to add another quote by the same Martin Luther King Jr. where he said: ‘We must either learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to die together as fools.’
We must either learn to live together as brothers, or we are going to die together as fools.”
The Vice President also paid tribute to those instrumental in the transition process, including General Martin Luther Agwai (rtd), Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah, Justice Kumai Bayang Akaahs, and Senator Sunday Marshall.
Assuring of the immediate commencement of the institution’s operations, VP Shettima said: “The President has already directed the Minister of Education to ensure that the university is captured in the 2025 budget so that by September, it can admit its first set of students.”
Beyond education, VP Shettima reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to infrastructure development in Southern Kaduna, particularly in road construction.
“The Governor is already making significant progress in reconstructing key roads in the region. However, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to complete the efforts of the governor by awarding contracts for the construction of some of the major roads in the region,” he added.
Kaduna Governor Uba Sani thanked President Tinubu for the realisation of the dream to establish the Federal University of Applied Sciences in Southern Kaduna, describing the signing ceremony and handover of property for the takeoff of the institution as a great day for the people of the state and Nigerians at large.
Sani reserved special commendations for Vice President Shettima, whom he described as a strong pillar of support for his administration and the people of Kaduna, particularly for the actualisation of the Federal University of Applied Sciences project.
He said the peaceful coexistence enjoyed across Kaduna and environs, and the inclusion of all interests in the state is entrenched as a deliberate policy of his administration, assuring that “we will continue to run Kaduna in an inclusive manner where the interest of all are taken into consideration”.
This is an idea that will bring peace to the region,” he stated.
