Francis Sardauna in Katsina

The Governing Council of Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) has approved the appointment of Professor Mohammed Khalid Othman as the substantive vice-chancellor of the university.

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Ali Abubakar Jatau, announced the appointment shortly after the 36th Special Meeting held at the Grand Amber Hotel and Suites, Dutse, Jigawa State.

A statement issued by the Director, Information and Protocol of the institution, Nasiru M. Abdul, said Othman’s appointment followed the submission and consideration of the report of the Joint Council/Senate Selection Board on the appointment of a substantive vice-chancellor for the university.

The statement quoted the chairman of the governing council as saying that: “The emergence of Prof. Othman followed a rigorous selection process involving 17 shortlisted applicants for the position.”

He said at the close of the receipt of applications for the vacant position, 28 interested candidates applied for the position, while the search team identified three additional candidates.

“The 17 short-listed applicants, who were invited for the interview, participated in the rigorous and transparent selection process after which the selection board submitted the top three performing candidates to the Governing Council to select and approve the appointment of one of them as the vice-chancellor,” he said.

The new vice-chancellor, born July 22, 1962, in Bindawa Local Government Area of Katsina State, is an Agricultural Engineer from Ahmadu Bello Zaria.

He attended Bindawa Primary School between 1970 and 1977; Government Secondary School, Funtua, 1977 to 1982; and School of Basic Studies, ABU Zaria, 1982 to 1983.

He was at Ahmadu Bello University Zaria between 1984 and 1988; 1997 and 2001; as well as 2003 and 2007 for his first, second and third degrees respectively.

Othman has had a distinguished career from an Assistant Lecturer to Professorship and has held different positions as teacher, researcher and administrator.

He was a one-time Executive Director of the National Agricultural Extension Research and Liaison Services (NAERLS), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and presently an internal member of the Governing Council, representing the Senate.

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