By Usman Abdullahi Koli
Life would have been so traumatizing and human beings could have been chaotic if everybody is illiterate both in terms of religious and western knowledge. As it is said, Education is like a glooming light that brightens the future of an individual which importance to the humanity remains unmeasurable. The educated people in the society always engaged themselves in a fruitful ventures with the aim of shaping their mental psychology in the eyes of the larger community. Professor Sani Usman Kunya is one among such kind of personalities who is professionally skilled, managerially endowed and academically sound.
He was put to bed in the ancient village of Tilden Fulani in Toro Local Government Area of Bauchi State where he was first enrolled in to a religious oriented school for the search of Islamic knowledge at his tender age, the system which gave him the opportunity to be prowess in the western education. The then young Sani attended Rinjin Gani Primary School for his elementary education from 1974 to 1980 and later proceeded to Government Secondary School Gumau (presently Government Technical College) but subsequently transferred to Science School Toro for his WASSCE from 1984 to 1986. Vibrant Sani started the struggle for higher education at the prestigious University of Jos where he obtained his both Bachelor’s Degree in Building in the year 1992, MSc and PhD Iin Construction Mnanagement, 2001 nad 2008 respectively.
The energetic, Builder Sani started his working career as a Construction Project Manager with the Plateau State Housing Corporation in 1991 and as time he was promoted to the rank of Construction Project Engineer following his annual performance evaluation before finally becoming an Academician with the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Bauchi in the year 11th September, 1995.
Professor Sani Usman has so far gained good 28 years working experience in the highest educational academic system where he graduated quite a number of students, Undergraduate, Masters and PhD now are working in either their private owned construction companies or various MDA’S within the states and federal levels in Nigeria.
‘Baba Dean’ as jovially used to be called by the old and present students of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi due to his soft hearted nature in handling students matters; making them to feel at home during his tenure as the Dean Students Affairs Division of the varsity unlike his predecessors and successors whose leadership style is incomparable with that of the Construction Manager.
The recent appointment of Professor Sani Usman Kunya as the new Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics) of the ATBU did not not come to many as a surprise considering his wealth of experience in the academic environment which I can describe the development as a way of “Putting the right peg in a square hole” especially for the upcoming generation.
More than just an icing on the cake, Prof. Kunya’s elevation to the rank of Deputy Vice Chancellor is no doubt a sign of restoring additional hope to the under graduates and post-graduate students only but a symbol of producing many professional employers of labour that can be self reliant instead of the job seekers which the country cannot continue to afford as a result of the present economic realities.
Happily married to Hajiya Hauwa for overs 29 years, he is blessed with three children and a lot of adopted ones.
A Builder by profession, he is currently a Fellow of the following Instituions;
Fellow of the Nigerian Institue of Building, FNIOB 000163
Fellow of the Nigerian institution of Builders in Facilities Management FNIBFM 000F48
Fellow of the Institute of Management Consultant FIMC 0010005
Fellow Nigerian Institute of Creative Management FINICM
Registered Builder Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria CORCON
Member of Nigerian Institute of Management MNIM
As your journey to the apex position had just began with God grace, May Allah guide you to deliver well on the mandate beyond expectation of the public with best wishes through out your tenure.Ameen Thuma Ameen!
Usman Abdullahi Koli,
mernoukoli@gmail.com.
