The Borno State Government has earmarked N8.8 billion to complete the state’s teaching hospital (BSTH) and College of Health Sciences. The earmark was disclosed Tuesday in Maiduguri, while Governor Babagana Zulum was inaugurating the 21-member board of the Borno State University (BSU) headed by Alhaji Mohammad Indimi. “I’ve every reason to justify huge investments in the education sector,” he said, noting that this shall create means of opportunities to liberate the society from dangerous ideological influences of the insurgents. According to him, education is the most important factor for economic development. He said that the establishment of the university is an important denominator in the promotion of development of the state; after 12-year destruction of pursuits of education. He said the Chairman of the university board and its members, were selected from diverse disciplines and interests in academia in Nigeria. “You’re the right crew to pilot the affairs of this University at this critical moment of its development,” he said. He charged the board members to formulate policies and regulations aimed at ensuring efficiency prudent management of human and capital resources. He added that the board should also consolidate on the level of development reached by tapping the experiences of board members. According to him; “I urge the management to promote discipline and transparency by keying into the government’s transformation agenda of 25-year development plan and 10-year strategic transformation plan. While commending the board members, he said: “The governor board of the University has done well in enabling the Borno state government to establish University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (BUTH).” He said a contract has been awarded for the construction of a maternity unit at about N2 billion. On completing the college of health sciences, he said: “We’ve started constructing College of Health Sciences and the Accident and Emergency unit at N3 billion form Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund). He said the council has also approved for the establishment of other university departments at the cost of N2.1 billion. He therefore appealed to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umar Sandabe to exploit the potentials of Alhaji Indimi, the University’s Governing Board Chairman. “The pedigree and integrity of Indimi are never in doubt to develop the University,” he said, noting that he lived with the people in Maiduguri, despite the 12-year Boko Haram insurgency. While responding, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sandabe said that the hospital will be equipped with state of the art facilities. “With the ambition to reach the frontiers of academic knowledge; the university has entered with a memorandum of action with the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) and memorandum of understanding with two universities in Bangladesh. According to him, the University is committed to a lot of resources and basic infrastructures on campus. He said the infrastructural facilities include a Senate and five faculty buildings, senior staff quarters, students’ hostels and roads network.
