Bayero University Kano: In search of alumni

It all started with the first ever convention of the BUKAA held on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Convocation Arena of the university, Gwarzo road, Kano. At the end of the convention, Mr Muhammed Dattijo Usman, the former Registrar of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, emerged as the National President. His only opponent, […]

It all started with the first ever convention of the BUKAA held on Saturday, December 7, 2013 at the Convocation Arena of the university, Gwarzo road, Kano. At the end of the convention, Mr Muhammed Dattijo Usman, the former Registrar of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, emerged as the National President. His only opponent, Engineer Muttaqa Rabe Darma, the erstwhile Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF), withdrew before the election.
The First Vice President is Binta Rabi’u, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Welfare, Kano State and the Second Vice President is Dr Nazifi Abdullahi Darma of the Department of Economics, University of Abuja. The new Secretary General is Professor Habu Muhammed of the Department of Political Science, Bayero University Kano. He is to be assisted by the Assistant Secretary General One, Rilwan Ahmed Bello and Assistant Secretary General Two, Habila Ibrahim. Sadiya Sani Daura of the Department of English and Literary Studies and Halima Musa Dangiwa of the Department of Geography, BUK, respectively, are the Financial Secretary and Treasurer. Also elected to serve as Publicity Secretary, is Abubakar Bello Abdullahi of the Corporate Communications Department, Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Social Welfare Officer is Aliyu Ado Kurawa of First Bank Kano and Mika Anache of Mika Anache and Co Chambers is the Legal Adviser. Also elected are Ex-Officio members; among them, Ibrahim U Argungu representing North West; Ishaku A Ghali, North East; Hauwa Ladan Yusuf, North Central and Price Clement Onyeador is to represent the South East. The Ex-Officio slots for South West and South-South are to be filled later.
Addressing delegates at the Convocation Arena of the university’s permanent site in Kano on Saturday, December 7, 2013 following his victory, Mr MD Usman, a former Registrar of Federal University of Technology, Minna, declared that the newly elected executive council would work with the management of the university in every conceivable way to strengthen the association.  He said the association would seek access to the university’s database in order to locate and bring into its fold all the ex-students of the institution. He added that he was aware of the meaningful role that the alumni could make in the development of their institution and observed that being a pioneer executive council; much was expected of the members. Usman therefore called for close cooperation between the alumni and the university and other stakeholders to improve the status of BUK. He assured his colleagues of his determination to work hard, in unity and with sincerity of purpose for the progress of the university and its students. The BUKAA President promised unfettered communication among the new executive members so that everyone would remain on the same page in respect of the day to day administration of its affairs.
Earlier in his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University who is also an alumnus, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rashidi had traced the origins of Bayero University Kano, first established as Ahmadu Bello College in 1960. In 1962, it was renamed Abdullahi Bayero College before it became Bayero University College in 1975. To the delight of the convention delegates, Professor Rashid disclosed that BUK has grown into 13 faculties, 67 departments, and 52 undergraduate programmes, 122 post-graduate programmes – with 38 PhDs, 59 Masters, and 28 post-graduate diplomas. By the 2012 session, the students population had risen to 30,761 made up of 20, 847 undergraduates, 5,456 post-graduate and 4,458 sub-degree students. The Vice Chancellor put the university’s total staff strength at 3,223 consisting of 1,125 academic staff, 615 senior non-teaching staff and 1,358 junior staff.
Professor Rashid commended the efforts of other persons and bodies who have contributed significantly to the physical development of BUK. Among them Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Aliyu Babangida and Senator Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura who have variously built one structure or the other to improve learning conditions in the university. The Vice Chancellor also disclosed that the Central Bank is also constructing a state of the art Centre of Excellence for the university.
Almost all the alumni association’s executive council slots were filled through consensus. Rather than allowing free for all, open contests among the multiple candidates, some of the senior alumni cautioned against a bruising outcome that could generate bad blood detrimental to the university and other stakeholders. They therefore prevailed on some of the younger contestants to step down from the elections for now, reminding them that the tenure of every executive member would last for no more than two years after which they could then mount a challenge.
Some of the high calibre alumni who attended the convention included the Chief Servant of Niger State, Dr Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu; Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed; Professor Rufa’i Alkali, the former Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); the Emir of Anka, His Royal Highness, Alhaji Attahiru Ahmed; former Secretary to the Katsina State government, Alhaji Mustapha Inuwa, who was the chairman of the convention planning committee; Professor Sanusi Muhammed of Danfodio University; Alhaji Abubakar Udu Idris, Mni, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Kebbi State, who ably chaired the electoral committee; Sule Ya’u Sule, spokesman of former governor Ibrahim Shekarau and a host of other alumni from the Nigerian Army, academia, media and financial institutions.
Over all, it was a successful convention that drew delegates from many states of the federation.