Borno State Governor Babagana Umara Zulum has approved the rehabilitation of Mohammed Lawan College of Agriculture (MOLCA), Maiduguri.
Gov. Zulum also approved the sum of a N500 million as a running cost for the same institution.
The governor disclosed while on an assessment visit to the college which was completely submerged during the September flooding which affected many parts of Maiduguri.
He said apart from the repairs of the damaged infrastructure, it also needed modern equipment to enhance its activities.
Dauda Iliya, the governor’s spokesman quoted him in a statement as saying that the existing infrastructure in the college is not enough to provide the needed service, hence his administration’s resolve to intervene.
“I can see that this college needs a lot of support. Your existing facilities are not enough to provide the needed quality knowledge. Therefore, I want to announce that in sha Allah, we will provide more infrastructure to the school. We will build more classrooms, hostels, lecture theatres, and other facilities”, he said.
He, however, called on the institution’s management to judiciously utilize the N500 million, advocating an investment that will generate revenue for the school and become self-reliant.
He added that there are many investment opportunities that will generate revenue, warning that they should not tax the students by increasing tuition fees.
“I want the provost and staff of this college to put heads together and see how you will generate revenue. But I want you to understand that education is a social service; I am not saying that you generate revenue from tuition fees, no. You can invest in aquaculture, livestock, poultry, rain-fed agriculture and irrigation agriculture,” he added.
Governor Zulum also announced a N200,000 cash support to 197 staff of the college while each of the 937 students would get N10,000 to support them in replacing some of their basic items lost during the floods.
