ATBU’s Centre of Excellence certifies 1500 pioneer participants

From Paul Orude Bauchi

This Sustainable Procurement, Environmental and Social Standards Center of Excellence (SPESSCE) project at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, a World Bank Project, has certified 1500 pioneer participants on Procurement Standards, Social Standards and Environmental Standards.

The graduation Ceremony was held at the SPESSCE Complex at Gubi Campus of the University on Monday.

Addressing journalists shortly after the ceremony, the Chairman of the Centre, Professor Hassan Garba Ibrahim, who took grandaunts round the facilities at the Centre, disclosed that three sets –from five to seven- were certified.

A cross section of pioneer participants and guests at the graduation ceremony

“Throughout out the programme we have certified 1500 participants for part A,” he disclosed.

He explained that the training was a capacity programme to address skill gaps in procurement standards, the practice of environmental standard and application of social standards.

He said the Centre’s training span across five different tracks

“Tracks A are the short Executive Courses that we run within five days and we certify a participants,” he said.

“Track B is the Advanced Certificate run for a minimum of 80 hours or three to four weeks and Track. We have track D which is Post Graduate Diploma in the three standards and Track E is two tiers of Master’s Degree- Professional Masters and the Academic Masters”

The Chairman explained that the training being offered by the Centre would help in understanding the Procurement Law for effective practice.

Professor Hassan Garba Ibrahim, Centre Leader

“There is a gap is the Procurement Officers knows the law and the Chief Executive who would be held accountable does not know,” he stated

“By this programme we train the procurement Officers while we also organize Master Class for the Chief Executives so they can also be aware of the Procurement Law and that way both the Officer and the Chief Accounting Officer are on the same level in terms of knowledge and application of the Procurement Law”

He said all the courses at the Centre are run based on the License given by the National University Commission after thorough investigation of facilities.

In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Muhammad Abdulazeez while congratulated the graduates urged them to be good ambassadors of the Centre

“You will be our advocates out there and we believe with you as our Ambasadors we will see a lot of patronage not only in the social standards but also in the Procurement Standards as well as environmental standards,” he said.

ATBU is your home and you are welcome anytime and when you want consultancy you don’t need to go outside,” he said

“Our centre is equipped to carry out Environmental and Social Impact Assessment of any magnitude. We are willing and we are ready because we have the capacity.

“We have the state of the art facilities to do that”