By
Anas Sani Anka
I feel thrilled to see Zamfara State College of Arts and Science (ZACAS) Gusau at its present stage as it wears a new look with quality of renovation made by the Dauda Lawal administration.
People like us who passed through the joy of studying in ZACAS as an institution when it was newly established by Sen. Ahmad Sani Yarima the first civilian Governor of Zamfara always feel sad after the condition of the college deteriorated.
Our memorable lecture classrooms wete for instance looking so tattered and no longer habitable for academic purposes while staff offices, libraries, and laboratories became like comatose almost like not functioning.
The student hostels, especially the one I used way back in the years 2000 and 2002, were no longer having the deserving structural outlooks befitting for being a fair student hostel.
Sad enough government after government we have been making consistent calls for them to come to aid of this noble and historic institution, but the calls hit the hard rock.
It is delighted that God almighty has used Governor Dauda Lawal to revive ZACAS infrastructure wise and it is my hope that the government will add more infrastructures to the college, especially lecture classrooms and theaters so that academic activities can be pursued without any hitch.
What is left for the management of the school is to wake up in the real and begin to establish network with other tertiary colleges nationwide by getting more affiliated courses as well introduction of new ones that would attract the students to come and register with the college.
The survival of every tertiary college lies with its ability to sustain the teaching of courses that are both timely and demanding, and I think this is where ZACAS needs to improve.
The old affiliated programs with Usman Danfodio University and Ahmadu Bello University Zaria namely: matriculation and IJMB which most of us perused in the early 2000 need to be reintroduced and more collaboration with local governments through the ministry for local government affairs needs to be strengthened so that Chairmen can release funds for the sponsorship of their Indigenes in the college.
Thank God the immediate past Provost of the college Dr. Yakubu Sanusi (Yari) is now the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry for local government, the management has to renew commitment to getting his support toward ensuring sustainable partnership between the college and local government council chairmen so that enrolment of the college be enhanced.
Again I will employ the ministry of education science and technology to initiate some ideas of providing government sponsorship for some of the lecturers who served the college for decades to continue to pursue their advance degrees so that their capacity can be enhanced.
We are very proud of ZACAS Gusau and we are happy that the foundation made by late Yusuf Muhammad (Zoo-guy) has been sustained, and we always want to see college developing to the sky.
The college graduated young promising human resources that are serving Nigeria in different capacities, and we would remain ever grateful for the unique opportunity offered to us by the college.
Thank you Governor Dauda Lawal for the timely intervention.
