Prof. Muhammad AbdulAziz, the immediate past Vice Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi State, has urged for drug testing of lecturers to sanitise the university system.
AbdulAziz declared this in a valedictory statement to the University Senate during a ceremony to hand over his successor, Prof. Sani Kunya, the institution’s new Acting Vice Chancellor.
While applauding the Federal Ministry of Education’s plan to implement drug testing for students seeking admission to all universities, he suggested that such test be expanded to include lecturers. He believes it will further sanitise the university system, promoting chastity and academic excellence.
AbdulAziz stated that the modest achievements made during his term were in the areas of infrastructure development, academic content improvement, and community services. He stated that the successes reported would not have been achievable without the cooperation of all stakeholders in the system.
He thanked the federal government for its assistance to the University through the Federal Ministry of Education and its various institutions, including the National Universities Commission and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.
Also addressing, the university’s new Acting Vice Chancellor thanked the Senate for recognising him as deserving of the accolade and the Federal Government for confirming his appointment.
“We have discussed with the Federal Ministry of Education and they want to introduce to all universities that before any student would be registered in the universities, he or she must undergo drug tests.
“If students should undergo drug tests, I believe that even some of us, the lecturers, need to undergo same test so that we know our status.
“We also have to volunteer ourselves to have this test done on us because we have to sanitise the university.
“If the students are to be subjected to drug tests to determine their mental health status, nothing is wrong if the lecturers too are subjected to the same test.
“That is the only way to check excesses in the university system,” he said.