<<< By Terver Akase >>>
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has urged tertiary institutions owned by the state to place greater emphasis on research to enable them compete favourably with others across the globe.
Governor Ortom gave the charge when the Council of Benue State University, BSU, paid him a courtesy visit at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi.
He said research remained the foundation upon which institutions of higher learning could maintain high academic standards and rank among the best.
The Governor said his administration had already demonstrated that it is education friendly as seen in the numerous achievements recorded in the sub-sector leading to the graduation of three sets of medical students of BSU, renovation of School of Nursing and Midwifery as well as the ongoing work on over 700 primary schools across the state.
He assured the Council of BSU that most of their demands which included reposition of the university to generate more revenue were in line with the ideology of the present administration and would be given adequate support.
Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the BSU Council, Professor Zacharys Anger Gundu, commended Governor Ortom for the milestones he had achieved within just a year despite severe economic conditions.
He thanked the Governor for the immense support the present administration had given to the university as the institution had been placed on first charge and had continued to receive regular payment of salaries even when wages of other workers are in arrears.
Professor Gundu pledged the commitment of the Council to ensure that the university rises to greater heights.