By Umar Usman Duguri
The Federal university Dutsin-ma was among the recently enlisted approved university in Nigeria, sited at Dutsin-ma local Government area council of Katsina state. FUDMA university was formally kicked its educational activities after an edict by the then administration of Goodluck Jonathan in 2010 aimed at enhancing advance higher education in Nigeria and its peer elsewhere. Since then, the FUDMA commenced its academic and non-academic programs in line with the modus operandi of other conventional universities across the country, in the year 2012 for the year 2011/2012 session, hoping to be among the top learning institution. Interestingly, the incumbent vice chancellor professor Hamisu Armayu’u is among the pioneer product of the institution before his eventual appointment to head the university and fix it compete and actualize the vision and mission of the varsity.
Until the elevation of professor Hamisu Armaya’u Bichi as acting VC of the FUDMA, the university had three faculties with twenty programs only, out of these twenty programs only three had accreditation from the national universities commission, within the span of a while, Professor Hamisu changed the narrative by ensuring successful accreditation for all the seventeen programs. Afterward, he facilitate the establishment of post graduate school which according to him would help in training the academic staff and othe people within the community benefit also in boosting their morale, this is aside from the increased programs from twenty to more than sixty programs and the three existing faculties have been increased to ten faculties, so the maturing university now have ten faculties with more than sixty programs and the school of postgraduate running over hundred courses, these in addition to successful integration of undergraduate and postgraduate programs gotten accreditation. The new faculties are; faculties of Earth and Environmental sciences, Law, Engineering as well as collage of Health sciences. The VC deserves “Kudos” for setting a paradigm shift worthy of commendation and emulation.
In the area of ICT, FUDMA has joined its peers today in the use of ICT to support today’s modern education that is piloting with high tablets of technology; the VC according to him “it is our long term plan to be moving with the modern educational techniques, this is why, the FUDMA, has to key into the ICT to meet the expectations of the 21st century modern teaching, facilities and requirements. Students in the university are configured to use and play with new information technology in learning and research from the first day of admission to the last day of their educational pursuant in FUDMA, this is highly commendable, it is the only federal university that freely offers and encourage students to judiciously use available ICT’s in the institution.
Capacity building, professor Hamisu, did not only said it, instead he implemented it in various ways, from the onset, the university after successful accreditation successfully secured approval to add more academic and non-academic staffs, that offers another opportunity for deserving citizens hurriedly joined the university as well as supporting the host people of Dutsin-Ma benefits from the offer. The VC went ahead to support lecturers seeking for educational advancement. Sanity has been restored in the varsity, serenity is suiting the breath of students and visitors of the universities and existing infrastructures meet up with demand of the institution.
Security of live and property is one of the cardinal priority given and achieved in the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) by Professor Hamisu Armaya’u Bichi, recently during the matriculation of 6312 students, the VC eulogies on the student to be security conscious and cooperate fully with varsity by obeying basic security tips that may be release from time to time, students were advised to relates with their department for inward tips especially regarding various water bodies the local government (Dutsin-Ma) against the risk of drown.
FUDMA, being a fastest growing university has zero tolerance to social vices and misconduct. This according to Professor Hamisu would ensure true future product of Nigeria not only the institution after graduation, according to the VC, every student must be descent and responsible, this is why, the school weighs applicant before offering admission, by this also every student sign oath of allegiance to be good throughout his/her stay in the university. Universities in the world set same yardstick to maintain and produce a commendable future product of the country. Any student found in mal practice would be expel including the any erring staff. Smoking, drinking intoxicant, cultism and other secrets societies are completely not allowed in the FUDMA, appropriate measures have been put in place to manned any breach of law and other in the varsity’s principles and creed.
In decent dressings that often cause many things, includes raping (God forbid and protect our children), promiscuity, prostitution, sometimes normal human behaviors. FUDMA has zero tolerance for indecent dressing that displays nudity especially from the female students who deliberately embraced it to attract the opposite sex. The management of the university has conspicuously showed acceptable dress code that tally with different culture and economic status of the country at large. Interestingly, the VC made the varsity record zero report on sexual assault since its inception to date. It is another success achieved by the FUDMA as deliberate means of producing potential leaders with good moral and academic conduct.
Before the emergence of Professor Hamisu Armaya’u as acting VC, the FUDMA has a challenge of transporting staffs and students for lectures and other academic activities because FUDMA has two campuses, things have quickly change when the incumbent VC assume duty to head the varsity, buses are made available and are on the basis of “ first come, first served”. This has easen the hardship as well as ensured reliability and convenience of students as they shuttle between the two campuses under security guide.
Most of the Deans, head of Departments and students interviewed by cross section journalist, lucidly commend the VC for turning around the fortune of the institution positively with passion in all the campuses visited simultaneously.
