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Prof. Hayward Mufuyai, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, said on Thursday that the institution required additional land from its host community to establish two more faculties.
Mufuyai said this when he received members of Anaguta community who paid a courtesy visit to the university.
He said that the effective take-off of the faculties - agriculture and engineering, would be impossible without a large span of land.
``The new faculties, particularly agriculture, will require a large space. As you can see, the permanent site is choked with structures.
``If you go to the faculties of agriculture in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, or Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife for instance, you will see the kind of land that is needed for efficiency.''
He commended the community for the cordial relationship with the university and pledged that appropriate compensation would be paid to the host community if more land was given to the school.
``You have done so much for the university, but like Oliver Twist, we need more to execute our programmes in order to attain our dreams of becoming one of the best universities in the country and beyond,’’ he added.
On the community’s request for a special admission and employment quota, Mafuyai said: ``we are building a global university and not a village one therefore there may be no special quota for admission for your children.
``But I assure you that those of them that meet the university’s entry qualification will be considered.
``As for the employment of Anaguta sons and daughters as junior and senior staff, we have started the process already.''
Mafuyai thanked the community and the Plateau Government for the ``unprecedented support'' toward academic success and urged that such be sustained.
Earlier, Mr Shina Agada, the National President, Anaguta Development Association, had told the Vice Chancellor that they were in his office to felicitate with him on his appointment and also intimate him of some issues bothering the host community.
``We want improved admission quota for our children, employment of our people in the junior and senior cadre, economic empowerment and other sundry matters,’’ he declared.
Agada, however, commended the university boss for employing two Anaguta sons as lecturers in the institution within one year of his appointment as vice chancellor.
Chief Jauro Magaji, the Ujah Anaguta and traditional ruler of the community, in his remarks, told the vice chancellor that the community was not fully compensated for the 330 hectares of land it gave to the university.
Magaji, who is also an alumnus of the university, declared: ``If I have my way, I will request that the school be relocated to another place if you are no longer interested in paying the remaining compensation.
``Our farmlands have been taken over by the university and that has left us with little to do, but the request put forward for admission and employment would take care of the situation if granted.’’
Magaji assured the vice chancellor that the community was willing to continue to partner with the university, pointing out that the institution had brought a lot of development to Anaguta and Plateau in general. (NAN)
