By Prof. M. K. Othman
Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, the great ABU, is a name that reflects the dreams and aspirations of political patriots and nationalists such as Sir Tafawa Balewa, the great Zik of Africa, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo of blessed memory. When the first premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello, established the only university in the North in 1962, his vision for the University was to build a globally competitive institution that imparts contemporary knowledge to men and women of all races without discrimination.
The university was designed to generate new ideas relevant to local and global needs, ensuring intellectual independence and driving regional modernization. 64 years after its creation, ABU Zaria has weathered turbulent waters and teething problems, borne the brunt of economic, security, and social upheavals, and still retains the national posture that reflects its founder’s vision.
One such troubled water was the 1996 creation of ABU Zaria’s sole administrator, Late General Kontagora, who was earlier commissioned to investigate the university’s leadership crisis and came out with facts and figures, the remote and immediate causes of the crisis, as well as solutions and strategies for implementation. In the wisdom of the then visitor to the university, General Sani Abacha, he directed General Kontagora to implement the recommendations he authored. In no time, the heads were let loose, leading to collateral damage, for which the judiciary is forcing the university to bear the consequences of the sole administrator’s actions.
My 2-part article on the subject generated a lot of reactions from my wide range of readers, who expressed their eagerness to find a lasting solution to the university’s endless crisis. This week and next, I will publish readers’ commentaries to further emphasize the need for government intervention. Happy reading.
Assalamu alaikum Sir, thank you so much for this article; may the Almighty continue to bless you. This article explains why ABU Zaria matters to all Nigerians, irrespective of religion, region, or tribe, and serves as a symbol of unity and excellence. The threat to that amount of training and research funding is indeed worrisome; likewise, the leadership under VC Prof. Adamu Ahmed and Alhaji Yayale Ahmed deserves commendation for recent developments.
A resolution approach needs to be adopted that favors ABU Zaria, and the staff were terminated in 1996; the Federal Government should intervene. Also, the alumni may raise part of the funds.
May Almighty Allah grant us the grace to read the next article. May Almighty Allah bring the final solution to this situation.-Dr. Lawan Abdulmumini
Thank you, Sir. ABU has built a strong legacy, but legacy alone is not enough to secure the future. For emerging universities like ours, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, the lesson is to focus on stability, innovation, and quality delivery. With the right systems and consistency, newer institutions can close the gap and even outperform older ones over time.-Dr Musab Ibrahim
A big question begging for an answer. One lesson I glean from this issue is that our decision today has the potential to affect many tomorrow in unimaginable proportions. I am eagerly waiting to read the concluding part of this thought-provoking piece. Thanks so much, sir, for always writing in a manner that illuminates, inspires, and informs.-Dr Simon Obadahun
Without preempting what the article (which is due to conclude next week) will suggest, I think the Federal Government should intervene in the imbroglio, thereby serving the interests of justice for the wrongly disengaged staff and ABU’s institutional stability. In the alternative, the institution’s vast alumni network should rise to the occasion, as I believe the cost is within their reach to offset.
It’s in the interest of this nation that ABU, with all the attributes rightly highlighted in the article, is not burdened with a financial cost that will further expose its vulnerability. ABU is a critical national institution!-Dr. Hamisu Ahmed Sandamu
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this platform, Sir. I really feel for the institution. May God guide them in handling this critical issue.-Prof Elizabeth Yecho
Prof Othman, sir, what a deeply moving and intellectually honest piece you have written. In just a few carefully chosen words, you managed to do something rare in public commentary; you held two painful truths in the same hand without dropping either one. You opened with your heart, confessing that when ABU sneezes, you lose sleep, and that one sentence told us everything about who you are and why we should listen. This is not a cold legal analysis. This is a man whose youth, identity, and dreams were shaped by those corridors, watching with a father’s anxiety as something precious is threatened.
Sir, what makes your writing genuinely remarkable in my eyes is your refusal to take the easy road. You could have simply cheered for the dismissed workers or wrapped yourself in institutional loyalty and defended ABU at all costs. Instead, you did the harder, more honest thing; you said both matter. Justice for real human beings who lost their livelihoods for 30 years and the survival of an institution that belongs to all 774 local government areas of Nigeria. That is not fence-sitting; that is wisdom. You reminded us that ABU is not just a university but arguably Nigeria’s most successful experiment in making unity feel natural rather than forced. That alone makes this a conversation every Nigerian should be having.-Dr. Abdul’aziz Busa
Another critical reflection that should emanate from this writing is that “Leaders in Institutions of Higher Learning in Nigeria should be very, very careful in the decisions they make today” regarding their staff/employees.
They should treat their Staff as HUMANS and always consider the legal implications of whatever decision they make.
This will go a long way toward avoiding a recurrence of what happened to A.B.U.-Dr. Emmanuel Ojoko
