10/11/2022
VALEDICTORY SPEECH BY OUTGOING ACTING VICE CHANCELLOR, KADUNA STATE UNIVERSITY PROF. ABDULLAHI MUSA ASHAFA ON THURSDAY 10TH NOVEMBER, 2022 AT THE JOINT MANAGEMENT AND SENATE MEETING
It is with great honour, excitement and unmeasurable gratitude to Allah SWT that I stand before you this morning to chair for the last time as Acting Vice Chancellor, a joint meeting of Management and Senate, Kaduna State University (KASU). It is an honour indeed, to serve in this capacity. It has been a short but certainly memorable, fruitful, wonderful and rewarding, yet instructive journey in the history of KASU and in my journey through life. This is historic being the first time a valedictory speech is made by any outgoing Chief Executive of KASU
Being among the very few academic staff that pioneered this University from scratch and among the first two to have attained the rank of professorship by promotion, was an opportunity for me to have seen the emergence and development of the University. I was not only able to hold almost all the key positions in the University and worked with almost all the Vice Chancellors, but also the only KASU academic staff who has consistently remained a member of Senate since its inauguration on 15th August, 2005. I also worked either fully or partly with all the Councils of this University as a member. It is a privilege therefore to have at my fingertips every bit of history of development and challenges facing this University. While I might be part of the success story of KASU, many have seen in me as natural pillar in mitigating its challenges, which we have resolved that given the opportunity, we shall be firm in confronting them against all odds.
When destiny brought me as the Ag. Vice Chancellor on 23rd June, 2022, few days after completing my tenure as the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), I was not afraid in shifting away the boundaries of challenges we were facing. The confidence to do so emanated from the impression I had about the stakeholders about their serious conviction that we would not only deliver, but the one who knows KASU well to do so. I had wanted to be a small version of the Visitor to the University who sees and treats fear as a reaction, but decision as a courage. Personally, I see courage as a valuable quality for institutional and global transformation due to our capacity to provide solution to daunting challenges like in the unusual, if not abnormal situation I was drafted to take this responsibility. When we came, we’ve decided to be courageous in our decisions on what was the best for the system.
Remember, I came at a difficult time to face two major challenges. The first was when the University among others, was recovering from the destablization of our academic calendar arising from pandemic. This pandemic was a development we all know made humanity and every system fragile. Even normality too became fragile and abnormal, when in the blink of an eye, the whole world turned around and what we previously took for granted, simply did not appear anymore as normal.
The second, but equally the sad one was the ASUU strike. No doubt, it was a struggle to better the University system, whose outcome was emerging to be opposite. Our students and parents were concerned and frustrated. Government was disturbed that without prior declaration of industrial dispute, our union joined the bandwagon, which for most of us at State Universities, shouldn’t have joined in the first place. What we did to safe the ugly situation would be left for history to judge. For those who differed with us, you have every reason for insisting on your opinion and the manner the strike was called-off or suspended has vindicated the position we took against all odds. Colleague interpreted our decisions for being on personal interest to impress government. I must salute those who stuck to the guns to continue the strike, while thanking those who remained as committed members of our union, but saw good reasons to support us in reopening the University for academic activities to resume. In all these, it was a matter of perspective and choice, which everyone has the inalienable right to make. Our decisions rather than what some clowns and gladiators with unimaginable warped impression would want to believe that it was a desperate attempt to impress our superiors, were rather attempts to redefine approaches in their variety in managing abnormal situation affecting KASU. This was especially as it was affecting stakeholders, which the students and their parents are crucial part of.
These past few months as Acting Vice Chancellor may seem short. To me, it has been an interesting and challenging journey that is quite instructive. When I reflect through it all, I am very proud of the little we have achieved together, especially in placing KASU’s academic calendar ahead of other public universities and the graduation of our final year students now awaiting mobilization for national service. Making KASU great was our MAJOR and critical concern. My job as the Acting Vice Chancellor had been to harmonize our ideas and thoughts as a team leader while also directing and synergizing our efforts and energies as individuals and as a team of active players in the continuous match to making KASU great. This we did mostly by sacrificing our personal comforts, personal aspirations, even personal opportunities that would have benefitted only us, yet taking insults from our colleagues and those placed with certain responsibilities to objectively aggregate our performance, which we refused to get frustrated because making KASU great has been our concern than what we can get out of it. By demonstrating courage in handling the affairs of KASU, we unfortunately woke up some few wolves who were determined to stop us from what coincidentally, Allah has not designed for us. For me, it was never a dream not realized, but a great opportunity to say Alhamdulillah for the magnanimity and for showing that someone who loves KASU could be courageous in taking hard decisions at the risk of personal aspiration. The larger picture of this aspiration was to leave the system better than we met it, knowing how and where we started and where we are going. To me there is nothing to regret. After all, it was Elon Musk who said “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favour”. The odds were clear to us and we confronted them; the oracles have spoken, the matter is settled and since nothing lasts forever, the term of my assignment has come to an end, while I graciously wait for what Allah the Most Gracious will do next. Whatever He decides to do, may KASU remain stable to progress for ever. Those who are yet to come to terms with this reality should know that I am personally consoled by Sura Al-Baqara (2:216) where the Most High says: “But perhaps you hate a thing, which is good for you and that you (might) like a thing, which is bad for you. Allah knows while you do not know”.
Distinguished members of Management and Senate, note that leadership is a relay race; my goal was to use my effort at its best to run my own part of the race. Now that I have reached the stoppage mark, I will be handing over the baton to the next partner of the team to make his own race. What we were able or unable to do is left for history to judge, and indeed, history is the best of judges. I am optimistic that by the concern shown in the public domain and the soothing words of encouragement, history might judge us kindly and objectively.
Please also note that the outgoing Ag. Vice Chancellor, just like the incoming Vice Chancellor, is a mere mortal; we have our own strength and areas of human frailties. As colleagues in Senate and Management, we often disagree to agree. While at times we get agonistic on issues, we have never been antagonistic, yet we are always forgiving. I plead that you forgive my frailties as I have forgiven anyone who might have perhaps wronged me in any way. While urging you for a complete support to the incoming Vice Chancellor, I equally wish him every success in this additional but tasking responsibility. I pray he will assemble a selfless, courageous, sincere and humble members for his team. For those who would be visiting the campus at night, very soon you’ll see solar street lights shining your ways across nooks and crannies of the University. As the campus shines because, note that this was the way we had planned to make KASU shine amongst Universities in Africa and the world, but the journey was a short one. I must sincerely thank my contact person, who is a patriotic Nigerian at the federal level for agreeing to this out for us. The street lights are coming in 4 phases. The first phase is being erected with about 30 pieces and the quantity of each other phase is arranged to be higher than the previous.
As I handover to the incoming Vice Chancellor on Monday 14th November, 2022 therefore, the best admonition I will leave him with as a guide is to say exactly what the Late Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar III in 1979 told President Shehu Shagari when he went visiting: “Note that in leadership, ba a iyawa, ba a yabawa, kuma ba a gamawa”.
On this note, I wish to thank His Excellency, Malam Nasir El-Rufai and the Visitor to the University for the opportunity; the Deputy Governor, Her Excellency, Dr. Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe and members of the University's Governing Council for all they have done. Our Chancellor, His Highness, Mallam Muhammadu Sanusi II deserves commendation for his consistent encouragement and support. Members of the University Senate, Management, Staff and Students and the entire members of the University community are hereby appreciated most profoundly. May Allah bless you all bountifully. Ameen.
Thank you.
Prof. AM Ashafa
Outgoing Ag. Vice Chancellor
KASU
