Borno State Governor, PBabagana Zulum, has pledged to urgently reform and upgrade facilities at the Mohammed Goni College of Legal and Islamic Studies and its Higher Islamic College in Maiduguri.
Zulum made the commitment on Monday, at the Government House, Maiduguri, while receiving the report of a 10-member visitation panel constituted to assess the activities and operations of the institution.
The governor commended the panel for what he described as a thorough and impartial assessment of the college, assuring that its recommendations would be implemented without delay.
“I want to commend the chairman, members of the committee, provost, management team, and staff of the institution, and I want to assure you that the report of this committee shall be implemented very, very, very soon,” Zulum said.
He disclosed that he has personally visited the institution twice in recent months to assess its condition and interact with students and staff.
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According to him, the resilience of students, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds, despite the institution’s infrastructural and financial challenges, underscored the urgent need for government intervention.
Zulum said students had raised concerns over inadequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) facilities and the exclusion of the college from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) scheme.
He assured that the issues would be addressed as part of a rehabilitation programme expected to commence within days.
The governor also backed the panel’s recommendation for the establishment of a governing council for the college, saying such a body would strengthen the institution’s administration and prevent further decline.
He further expressed optimism that upgrading the Higher Islamic College, Maiduguri, would significantly expand access to education, particularly for disadvantaged residents and out-of-school women in the Maiduguri Metropolitan Council area.
“The school has the capacity to recruit not fewer than 10,000 students, even the Higher Islamic section. I think we shall do this one,” he said, adding that renovation of the expansive Higher Islamic wing was already being considered.
Presenting the panel’s report, its Chairman, Mohammed Abatcha, said the visitation team found that although the college’s administrative and management structures remain functional, its leadership and decision-making processes required a comprehensive overhaul.
The panel also identified concerns relating to staff and student welfare, physical and administrative infrastructure, compliance with directives from supervisory authorities, as well as weaknesses in financial management and resource utilisation.
Abatcha said the panel consequently made six major recommendations aimed at repositioning the institution.
The recommendations are strengthening leadership and decision-making processes, improving staff development and training, and introducing comprehensive systems for financial budgeting, accounting and reporting.
The panel also called for broader measures to improve teaching and learning and strengthen the overall administration of the college.
