Olawale Adebayo, Lokoja
The Vice Chancellor of Confluence University of Science and Technology CUSTECH, Osara, Kogi State, Professor SalawuShadiku has disclosed that the future of Kogi and other Central States will largely depend on Mining activities in view of the enormous mineral resources available in the zone .
Professor Shadiku made this known while conducting round thejournalists who were on projects tour of the University at main Campus in Osara ,Adavi Loacal government area of Kogi State at weekend.
The University Don explained that the importance of the specialised University can not be over emphasised, noting that the institution aimed at providing human resources to the emerging mining industries in Kogi and Nigeria as whole.
He added that most of the secondary school graduates from KogiState in particular have flair for science education such as mathematics, Physics as well as engineering courses, stressing that the ongoing project at the main campus of the institution will create opportunities for them to pursue career in life.
He added that Kogi State is a mineral resources state, noting that the future of the state will depend on mining and mining is all about engineering based activities ,pointing out that the state will be able to provide human resources for the actualization of the mining activities
On funding of the University ,the Vice Chancellor stated that the funding has been fantastically successful because there are three sources of funds, adding that with University’s internally generated revenue while some funds are coming from Local government areas statutorily and other sort of funds from state government in terms of percentage of internally generated revenue accrued to the State.
“This is why we are prosecuting these projects without any seamless difficulties. With careful Management of little resources that are coming in. We will be able to do much more .In fact this University would be fully established in the next 4 or 5 years”.
While speaking the need to revitalise the Ajaokuta Steel Company, Professor Shadiku said that the company would have employed 10, 000 workers directly at the completion of the first phase,while it will further employ more 20,000 workers at the completion of the second phase and an additional of another 30,000 workers upon the completion of the third phase respectively .
“When you add 30,000 direct employment to the indirect employment ,then this become vast resources of opportunities .Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited is predominantly engineering services from civil, mechanical ,electrical process and ecological all have places in Ajaokuta to make a career and remember it is not only Ajaokuta .Revitalisation means the revitalisation of Itakpe Iron Ore mining all these are added advantages to us at CUSTECH Another sources of materials is Osara dolomite .It means that we will be able to supply necessary manpower that will be mining the dolomite that is very close to us, the VC added
Earlier in his remarks ,the State Commissioner for Education ,Science and Technology ,Mr. Wemi Jones explained told journalists that the University is one of the fastest growing citadels of learning , pointed out that it was established on the heel of Covid 19 pandemic outbreak 2020 when the whole was completely locked down.
Jones stressed that the establishment of the Confluence University of Science and Technology was borne out of the desired to grow in science education and to help all the graduates of secondary schools of Kogi origin who are hitherto not given admissions in other Universities in the country.
The Journalists led by the State Chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalists ,Kogi State Council ,Comrade Momohjimoh Adeizavisited the permanent site of the Institution as part of on goingprojects tour for the assessment of governor Yahaya Bello administration’s performance in the State in the past seven years in office .
Adeiza lauded Governor Yahaya Bello for for various legacy projects such Model Science School, establishment of CUSTECH, Okene Reference Hospital and construction and rehabilitation of township roads across the three senatorial districts of the State
Among other project sites visited by the State Chairman of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ Kogi Council, Comrade Momohjimoh Adeiza and his entourages are the MuhamaduBuhari Civic Centre,Lokoja , GYB Model Science Secondary School, Adankolo was built to encourage Science education ,the Ganaja Overhead bridge ,the junction known for notorious gridlock and the gigantic Okene Reference Hospital and others .
These are the legacy projects of Governor Yahaya Bello led administration in the last seven years and have been successfully inaugurated by President Muhamadu Buhari on the 29th, December 2022 in Kogi State
