Taraba Varsity Must Produce Problem-Solvers, Not Certificate Holders – Kefas

Governor Agbu Kefas of Taraba State has charged Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, to move beyond producing certificate holders to graduating problem-solvers capable of providing practical solutions to the state’s development challenge.

Governor Kefas, who spoke on Saturday at the combined 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th convocation of the university in Jalingo, said the institution must leverage on research, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship to tackle challenges confronting Taraba in the area of agriculture, healthcare, energy, climate change, security and infrastructure.

The governor said, the university’s graduates must be equipped not only to seek employment but also to create enterprises and opportunities for others, stressing that “a certificate may open a door,” but character, competence and discipline would determine whether graduates remained relevant.

According to him, Taraba possesses enormous potential in agriculture, solid minerals, water resources and tourism, which the university must develop the research capacity and technological innovations required to transform those resources into economic opportunities.

Governor Kefas said, his administration inherited serious challenges when it assumed office in 2023, including pressure on public finances, deteriorating infrastructure, insecurity, educational difficulties and inadequate healthcare facilities.

He added that, the administration had also contended with inflation, flooding, displacement and damage to roads and bridges, while TSU itself went through a difficult period marked by disruptions to academic activities, welfare concerns, infrastructure deficits and accreditation pressures.

“At the height of the crisis, I came personally to the university because leadership must not remain at a safe distance from a problem.

“A leader must go where the problem is, listen, accept responsibility and take necessary decisions,” he said.

The governor stressed that his administration did not come to fight lecturers or humiliate workers, but to protect the future of students and ensure that the university remained an institution belonging to the people of Taraba State.

He said, the government had reduced tuition fees to make university education more accessible, supported the accreditation of academic programmes, secured approval for the induction of medical laboratory science students and obtained approval for the commencement of the university’s law programme.

Kefas further disclosed that his administration was renovating university hostels, addressing critical infrastructure needs and implementing the new minimum wage, alongside efforts to resolve associated salary backlogs.

He urged the university management to ensure that government support was matched with transparency, accountability and the preservation of academic standards.

The governor also challenged lecturers to measure their success not merely by the number of students who pass through their classrooms, but by the quality of minds, character and solutions produced by their students.

He urged the graduating students to reject drug abuse, violence, examination malpractice and other shortcuts capable of destroying their future, while encouraging them to acquire practical and digital skills and embrace entrepreneurship.

“Do not allow the absence of immediate employment to make you surrender to hopelessness. Continue learning, acquire practical and digital skills, build honest relationships, start small where necessary, and never despise small beginnings,” he said.

Governor Kefas said, although Nigeria and Taraba State were passing through difficult periods, the challenges were not permanent, urging the graduates to become agents of peace, development and national renewal.

Earlier, the chairman of the university’s Governing Council, Amb Idris Waziri, congratulated the four graduating sets, describing their achievements as products of resilience, hard work and perseverance.

He also commended the Vice-Chancellor, Senate, management, staff, labour unions, students and other stakeholders for their roles in sustaining the academic calendar and preserving the integrity of the university’s degrees.

In his address, the vice-chancellor of the university, Professor Sunday Paul Bako, disclosed that the Nigeria Council of Legal Education had lifted the ban on the university, paving the way for its law graduates to enroll into the Nigerian Law School.

Bako described the development as a major milestone in the history of the institution and commended Governor Kefas for his continued support for the university.

The vice-chancellor said the governor’s release of funds had enabled the university to address salary payments, salary arrears and other staff welfare challenges that had previously affected the institution.

He also disclosed that TSU had, for the first time, been listed among the top 100 universities in Nigeria, attributing the feat to the collective efforts of the government, management, staff and students.