The announcement of the appointment of Professor Umaru Pate Kaigamma Adamawa as the new Vice-Chancellor Federal University Kashere in Gombe state is indeed the best news for me in a year full of sadness and anxiety. I am not elated because Professor Umaru Pate is my brother. No, rather it is because it is a befitting reward to someone whose immense contributions to scholarship is beyond quantifications.
Professor Pate is currently the Dean Postgraduate school of Bayero University Kano and the National President of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professional of Nigeria. He is the embodiment of the triple mandate of scholarship which are “Teaching, Research and Community Service” He commenced service to humanity as a communicator at NTA Yola, moved over to academics giving form and meaning to the teaching and learning of Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri. Professor Pate has been a respected community service provider at all locations he served. When a training program was organized sometimes ago in Yola for aspiring NGO leaders who want to source for grants from Foreign Donors, the trainers told the bewildered participants that there are two Northerners with capacity to sign grant papers and have them approved without question. These are Awwal Musa Rafsanjani of CISLAC and Professor Umaru Pate of Bayero University Kano. Pate consults for very many Agencies including UNESCO and visits many Universities both in Nigeria and abroad.
However, Professor Umaru Pate carries no airs of importance or any modicum of arrogance due to his numerous accomplishments. Rather he carries himself with humility and humane disposition. At any function in Bayero University Kano when Pate:s name is mentioned, the students give a thunderous shout.
His style of scholarship promotes the true spirit of town and gown. He organizes scholarly functions where Mass communication students are exposed to industry players to bridge the gap between theory and practice. Often times the likes of the famous and award winning Internationally acclaimed Ghanaian investigative journalist Anas Armayau Anas and vetetan broadcasters like Cyril Stober share knowledge and experience with Communication students. That is a unique method that has made Professor Umaru Pate produce award winning scholars and practitioners. That is the nature of the luck of the Federal University Kashere. From now onwards, the nascent University will begin it’s journey on a trajectory of fulfilling it’s full mandate of Teaching, Research and Community Service. May the Almighty Allah guide, promote and provide Professor Umaru Pate good health and abundant wisdom to succeed.
Ahmad Sajoh is the Executive Director/CEO FutureNow International Abuja.
