After 20 years of its existence, College of Agriculture Garkawa held its first graduation last week, December 9th, 2022, at the college premises.
The event broke the jinx for the inability of the college to hold such a convocation since it was established in 1988.
It attracted personalities, educational luminaries from different institutions and well-wishers including the Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong and some members of his cabinet.
The provost of the institution, Dr. Ayuba Dasbak while speaking at the event expressed appreciation to the Governor for working to ensure accreditation of more courses in the institution and for making sure the graduation took place.
“To our graduating students whom we are proud of, we are encouraging you to continue to excell to actualise our motto “agriculture for life”, said the provost as he spoke excitedly to the graduands.
“Today’s occasion will ginger you to remember your alma mater and our anthem which emphasises that you make Nigeria great through agriculture” he added.
The provost disclosed that presently the second set of graduating HND students are in NYSC camp and it is an encouragement to them, as they continue to churn out experts in various agricultural fields.
Governor Lalong expressed excitement that the college has lived up to its mandate and made a record of awarding ND and HND courses despite its challenges explaining that his administration has worked to ensure accreditation of courses of the institution in the fields of agriculture and mining.
Lalong said due to his commitment and support to the college in the areas of accreditation and in other forms, the provost had put pressure on his head to ensure he holds a convocation before leaving office next year.
The Governor was optimistic that agricultural courses of the institution will continue to be relevant and encouraged the graduands to realise that even though white-collar jobs are not easily available, they can take up the challenge and go into farming or other forms of agribusinesses that are now the modern and fastest ways of economic empowerment.
He said the maiden convocation was very significant to his administration adding” The failure to carry out convocation in the past does not present a good picture of what an important academic institution such as this should do every year”.
While calling educational institutions in the state to ensure they hold convocations yearly to prevent delays in preventing certificates to students, who have graduated, Lalong recalled the gesture he did at the Plateau Polytechnic during their own graduation, and how he bestowed gifts to the best students, alongside his Nassarawa State counterpart, Engr. Abdullahi Sule. He, therefore, did the same gesture and offered each of the best 23 graduating students N300 thousand Naira.
More gifts followed for the entire college community as Lalong announced: “Today is my Christmas gift for your institution. You will provide the tree and I will provide the cows”, He said as he donated three cows for Christmas and 10 bags of rice.
Earlier the Governor made a stop at Hambiak, Samiya in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State to commission a Model Primary Health care facility.
Speaking to the people who were excited to have such a facility sited in their domain in ‘Gamai language’, Lalong was impressed with the support given to the project by some distinguished sons and daughters.
“Let us always remember our roots and put in place structures like this to help alleviate the sufferings of people”.
Lalong said the facility will provide quality health care and access to the rural people and also prevent health complications.
“People will get access to quality healthcare without spending many resources. This health facility will serve as a snake bite center” he said as he stressed his administration’s commitment to reversing the poor health indices of Plateau especially in rural areas.
He commended the move to post youth corpers to the hospital and said he had approved employment into the health sector to bridge the gap of dearth of staff.
The governor advised the community to be weary of traditional medicine and use the facility lamenting that the community had lost a lot of people due to lack of access to healthcare services.
Some distinguished sons and daughters of the community offered 100 vulnerable groups of people including aged people, women, children, and People with disabilities access to one-year free health care services from the facility. They also purchased an ambulance to address mobility challenges.
The governor did a symbolic display and presented hospital cards to 12 out of the 100 beneficiaries of the free health care services.
