DR IBRAHIM USMAN GUSAU: TWO YEARS ON THE SADDLE

"Marvelous Achievements With Two YearsIof Dr. Ibrahim Usman Gusau"

BY COMRADE MUSA MOHAMMED

"Dr. Ibrahim Gusau has been able to increase the academic and professional capacity of the College workforce. This has been made posible through sponsorship of staff for Post graduate programmes and academic conferences for teaching staff and professional training and workshops for all cadres of administrative staff both locally and internationally".

Every organization or institution that is thriving is obviously blessed with a good leader. The College of Education Maru is indeed thriving because a man with a remarkable ability is at the helms of affairs. That person is Dr Ibrahim Usman Gusau.

Since he assumed duty as the Provost of Zamfara state College of Education Maru on August, 2019, the College has witnessed monumental and unprecedented development in various areas, including academic activities, physical and infrastructural as well as students and staff wellfare. 

Between August 2019 to date when Dr. Ibrahim Usman Gusau took over the mantle of leadership as the Provost, the College has witnessed more infrastructural development.

Investigation conducted by teaming journalists has shown that significant achievements have been achieved in under the present administration of Dr. Ibrahim Gusau.

A team of journalists concerned with the development of education particularly in the North visited the institute in Maru Zamfara state, were they assess the achievements made so far under the able leadership of Dr. Gusau.

It is however good to point out right here the secret behind the accomplishments. On assuming duty he began by appreciating the efforts and contributions of his predecessors who laid the foundation stone of the institution. This he did by thorough study of the available records at his disposal and physical inspection of existant policies, programs and structures in the College. That gave him full insight and sense of direction of how to move the College another level of development. It was from there he identified the most important and urgent needs of the College. These according to the Provost included the need to have the College Programmes accredited by the regulatory body ie National Commision for Colleges of Education (NCCE, Abuja), expansion of Academic Programs ie opening more departments and above all ensuring that the College (having spent twenty years in existence) start running Degree programs in affiliation with nearby neighboring Universities and thirdly improving the condition of service by devising more ways of improving good working relationship and welfare of the entire members of staff.

To be specific, it is good to note that the giant effort and proper consultation with relevant authorities put in place by the Provost had attracted the attention of the State Executive Governor Alhaji Bello Muhammad (Matawallen Maradun) where approved the release of funds which cover the demand of the Accreditation Exercise. As result the NCCE Accreditation took place in February 2020 with full accreditation on all sectors and programs of the College with the exception of only three programs out twenty three that received intreme Accreditation. That development came up after a long time taken by the College without Accreditation.

(i). ACCREDITATION OF COLLEGE PROGRAMMES BY NCCE

(ii). EXPANSION OF COLLEGE ACADEMIC PROGRAMS /PREPARATION FOR THE COMMENCEMENT OF DEGREE PROGRAMS

With the two years of his administration as College Provost, Dr. Ibrahim Usman Gusau has succeeded in securing the affiliation approval of Usmanu Danfodio University Sokoto to run Bachelors Degree in the College on the programs listed below :

1. BSc Ed Biology

2.  BSc Ed Chemistry

3. BSc Ed Mathematics

4. BA Ed English

5. BSc Ed Geography

6. BA Ed Islamic Studies

7. BA Ed Hausa

8. B Ed Primary Education Studies

Thus necessary arrangements are now at the top gear for the commencement of the Degree programs in the College.

(iii) IMPROVEMENT OF CONDITIONS OF SERVICE AND GOOD WORKING RELATIONSHIP AMONG THE MEMBERS OF STAFF

In his bid to entrench transperent, responsive and all inclusive administration in the College, the Provost operates open-door policy with listening ears where he listenes and respects other people's opinions through various forms of meetings. In the early days of his assumption of duty the conducted series of meetings first with his Principal Officers, members of the Expanded Management Committee, Academic Board, Executive Members of the three Unions in the College, joint meeting of both Academic and non-teaching members of staff and finally the Students Union Government. 

In a related development, the Provost maintains and established more committees that attract the membership of both teaching and non-teaching members of staff with a view to ensuring that more hands are involved in running the affairs of the College which creates the spirit of sense of belonging among the College Cummunity.

Some of the committees to mention but few include :

1. Expanded Management Committee

2. Academic Board

3. Senior Staff Appointments, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee

4. Junior Staff Appointments, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee

4. Admission Committee

5. Tetfund Academic Staff Training and Development Identification and Consideration Committee

6. Capital Projects and Books Supply Monitoring Committee

7. Lectures Monitoring Committee

8. Examinations Monitoring Committee

9. Students Disciplinary Committee

10. Seminar Presentations and Publications Committee

It is not an over statement to state that, with the aforementioned good leadership style of Ibrahim Usman Gusau, limited space like this may not adequately guarantee opportunity to outline of his achievements here.

Some of the specific achievements include :

1. Timely and appropriate promotion of members of staff

2. Securing Tetfund intervention to sponsor local and international further studies

3. Securing Tetfund intervention to erect more structures and infrastructure in the College.

4. Ensuring a relatively examinations misconduct free environment.

5. Control of staff movement for further studies to safeguard the system.

6. Tree planting campaign with a view to fighting desert encroachment

7. Strengthning of harmonious relationship with the immediate host community

8. Tetfund Sponsored Institutional Based Research Selection Committee

9. Tetfund Sponsored Conference Attendance Committee.

Congratulations DR. IBRAHIM USMAN GUSAU on your two years anniversary today as the Provost of CEO, Maru. It is a thing of joy that you have introduced significant changes in the College. This is an affirmation of the intellectual bulldozer that you are. An academic collossus, a foresight leader and an astute administrator.

BY COMRADE MUSA MOHAMMED, NATIONAL PRESIDENT AREWA MEDIA PRACTITIONERS, EDITOR MOONLIGHTNEWS moonlightnews15@gmail.com