The lull in religious violence in Kaduna State may appear short-lived on the grounds of the unfolding religious crisis brewing quietly within the four walls of the Kaduna State University campus with the support of external forces within select communities in Kaduna State. Information available to 247ureports.com through sources close to the activities at the university campus indicates that not all is well with the Muslim community over the recent appointment of Banabas Quxix as the Vice Chancellor of the State University.
According to the information received, the appointment of the new vice chancellor irked some within the surrounding Muslim community who has acted to petition the PRO Chancellor to remove the newly appointed vice chancellor or face the consequences.
In particular, the Zazzau Emirate Council in their petition alleged that the new vice chancellor was on a mission “to Christianize the university”. The petition alleged the vice chancellor has initiated a process of expelling diehard Muslim students from the school – they cited the recent dismissal of a student for the offense of examination malpractice – as laced with religious bigotry on the part of the vice chancellor.
The said petition also cited the vice chancellor for abandoning the projects at the main campus located within the Kaduna metropolis opposite the WASC office near the home of the vice president, Architect Namadi Sambo at Angwa Rimi town – an area dominated by a Muslim population. The Zazzau Emirate Council charged also that the new vice chancellor has concentrated his developmental efforts at the Christian dominated campus located at Kafanchan.
For this reason, security sources who spoke to 247ureports.com expressed concern over a return to violence between the two religious groups involved. In the words of the security personnel, “some are uncomfortable with the vice chancellor being a Christian. They may go to any end to stop him”.
Nonetheless, voices from the other side of the aisle have begun to add to the rising tension at the University. The Southern Kaduna Peoples Union [SOKAPU] was quick to join issues to condemn the move by the Muslim dominated Zazzau Emirate Council to call for the sack of the new Christian Vice Chancellor. The Secretary of the Union, Mr. Adamu Marshall, in a press statement pointed out that the Vice Chancellor was acting in line with the development Master-Plan of the Kaduna State University – in his effort to also develop the abandoned projects in Kafanchan. He explained that both the Kafanchan campus and the Kaduna campuses were meant to undergo simultaneous infrastructural development. He also cautioned the Zazzau Emirate Council to not heat up the polity unnecessarily by charging that the Vice Chancellor was engaged in a program of Christianizing the university by expelling diehard Muslim students.
Similar notion was espoused by the Secretary of the Young Council of Nigeria, Comrade Danjuma Sarki who lamb-lasted the Zazzau Emirate Council for drafting what it termed “a fictitious petition meant to cause division”. The comrade explained that he was aware that the dismissed/expelled student was not dismissed by the vice chancellor. He commented further adding that “he is aware of plans by the Zazzau Emirate Council to cause trouble in Kaduna but the VC’s appointment followed due process. And a Muslim deputy Vice Chancellor was selected for balance.”
Meanwhile, cursory inquiry by 247ureports.com gathered that there appear more to the agitation by the Zazzau Emirate Council. As gathered, during the Markafi administration when the Kaduna State University was commissioned – through the repossession of the then Rimi College and part of Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital – only female hostels were erected in the Kaduna State Campus. The hostels were erected under a criminal arrangement that allowed for the University authorities to collect the hostel fees from the students – and to remit to the owners of the hostels. Some of the owners of the hostels include, the former Governor Markafi who owns Adama Hostel, AsD Automobile who owns AsD Hostel, Dantata who owns Dantata Hostel, Hamdala Hotels who owns Hamdala Hostel. This arrangement was reached during the Markafi administration – and the benefactors are said to be all of Northern Kaduna.
Also, it was gathered that the current Kaduna State University campus located at the Kaduna State metropolis is said to house three Mosques and no Churches.
