Old and new faces of JAMB Projects as Hajia Karimatu Bows Out
As the saying goes: “There is a correlation between what we believe is possible and what our results are.” By the same token, it is said: “An achiever resists the fear of failure, he rejects the urge to procrastinate. He succeeds where others failed. He sets standards and leaves his footprints in the sands of time. He creates something out of nothing and turns meagerness to bountifulness.”
Without a shadow of doubt, Hajia Karimatu Amina Abubakar, the Director, General Services Department, who is due to proceed on terminal leave, can beat her chest and say she has witnessed the most glorious moments in the life of the Board given the uncommon transformations that had been effected in the Board’s operational processes in recent times. These range from the expansion of the capacity of the Board’s Computer-Based Test Centres from 150 systems to the current uniform capacity of 275 terminals to the massive construction of mega CBT centres all over the country some of which have since been completed and many nearing completion.
In terms of office accommodation, the General Services Department, under Hajia Karimatu spearheaded the construction of new office complexes across the country with some remodeled in line with new specifications as dictated by Management. One edifice that particularly stands out is the remodeled General Services Department building which was conceived to ensure conducive work environment for staff also in line with the staff welfare thrust of the present leadership of the Board. At the last count, the Board has commissioned the newly-constructed mega Computer-Based Test centres in Owerri, Abeokuta, Azare, Lafia and Osogbo, while it has over twelve ongoing projects spread across the nation at different stages of completion.
These are the ones in Abia, Anambra, Edo, Kaduna, Katsina, Kogi, Akure among others. Further to the above, the Prof. Oloyede-led Management had in the previous week taken a tour of the massive projects being constructed by the Board, some of them substantially funded by NIgerian Communications Commission (NCC), to extend the services of the Board to all nooks and crannies of the country. The inspection team which included the indefatigable Director, General Services, had undertaken this COVID-19-guided tour of ongoing construction projects of CBT centres across the nation with a view to assessing the level of work done at the various sites as well as to ascertain whether t h e s e p r o j e c ts me e t a p p r o v e d specifications. The team commenced its inspection tour of these projects with a visit to Lokoja, Kogi State, where the ongoing construction of a twin CBT centre meant to cater for the teeming population of candidates from the State is being undertaken. From there, the team moved to Owerri, Imo State, where it commissioned a gigantic edifice billed to house three CBT centres in addition to providing a befitting office accommodation to staff.
In Awka, Anambra State, the team assessed the progress of work on the construction of another state-of-the-art twin CBT centre. In Akure, Ondo State, the Registrar and his entourage inspected the ongoing construction of yet another beautifully designed CBT centre. In his various remarks at all the sites visited, the Director, General Services expressed her appreciation to the Registrar and members of Management for the quality support given to her in all her undertakings. She added that she was leaving worthy legacies for her successors. She also expressed her joy over the confidence reposed in her by the Registrar which had gone a long way in making her tenure as a Director an achievement-filled one.
Furthermore, Hajia Karimatu made it abundantly clear to contractors handling the various construction projects that the inspection tour was the first leg of a series of planned visitations to ongoing project sites as others would be carried out in due course even after she might have exited the service. The Registrar, in his remarks, commended the Director for doing a great job in terms of quality supervision of projects. He stated that the thoroughness of Hajia Karimatu at monitoring projects was legendary. He enjoined the contractors at all the project sites to deliver quality jobs in order to continue to enjoy the patronage of the Board.
Culled from JAMBulletin, Monday, September 7, 2020