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There was jubilation among the staff of Fountain University, Osogbo, Osun State, on Monday when the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Ramota Karim, announced that the staff would be getting a full 13-month salary.
The Vice Chancellor made the announcement on Monday while delivering her opening remarks at the annual Dr AWA Ibrahim lecture organised by the College of Arts and Education, Fountain University.
Prof. Karim said the Governing Council of the institution approved the payment of the 13-month salary during its meeting earlier in the day.
“In continuation of the Dr AWA Ibrahim and the Governing Council’s commitment to the welfare of staff and students of the university, I am happy to announce that the council has approved the payment of full 13-month salary for all the staff,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
Prof Karim, said Dr Ibraheem’s contributions and vision have taken the school to unprecedented heights.
She noted that the Pro-Chancellor also placed every student enrolled in Arabic and Islamic Studies programmes on full scholarship.
Prof Karim said, “Through his extraordinary vision and unmatched benevolence, infrastructural masterpieces such as the ultramodern University Masjid, the newly completed 120-bed-space male hostel, and the ongoing construction of the state-of-the-art 500-seater CBT Centre have become realities that greatly enrich the Fountain University experience and advance our institutional capacity.
“In an act of rare and exceptional benevolence, he placed every student enrolled in these programmes on full scholarship—a gesture that currently sustains 156 students, representing a multimillion-naira investment in knowledge, faith, values, and the future of our Ummah.”
The guest lecturer, Prof.
Hamza Abdurraheem from the Department of Arabic and French, Kwara State University, Malete, urged the National Universities Commission to recognise the combination of Arabic studies with other relevant programmes.
Prof. Abdurraheem said the NUC allowing the combination would allow Arabic studies to get better recognition, acceptability and popularity.
In his lecture titled, ‘Advancing Muslim Education Through Arabic and Islamic Scholarship: Methodologies and Strategies’, Prof. Abdurraheem said the decline that Muslims are experiencing in the area of scholarship started when the Arabic language and the Arabic Quran were taken away from them as a result of Western colonialism.
The university don noted that forceful adoption of colonial languages by Muslims resulted in the low academic and intellectual performance being witnessed today.
He said: “In order for Arabic studies to get a better recognition, acceptability and popularity at the university level, Arabic programs should be allowed to combine with many relevant programs such as communication, international studies, library studies and many others. The National University Commission, which is hitherto reluctant to recognise combinations with Arabic, should reconsider its position.
“The decline that has descended on Muslims in the area of scholarship started when the Arabic language and the Arabic Quran were taken away from them as a result of Western colonialism and neocolonialism.
“The use of a foreign language like English or French is today seen as a symbol of civilisation and progressive thinking at the expense of Arabic, through which the West itself got its civilisation. Some Arab thinkers even went to the extent of suspecting Arabic to be incapable of transmitting scientific research.
“It is, however, unfortunate that despite the independence of many Muslim countries, Muslims are still battling with psychological depression, making it difficult for them to separate their thoughts and behaviours socially and educationally from the imperialistic jingoism.”
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Prof Abdurraheem added that Islamic schools and universities must include Arabic and Islamic studies in their curriculum if Muslims are to regain their hard-earned educational superiority and academic supremacy from the West.
“The renaissance of Muslims in recent times by establishing their own schools and universities must include Arabic and Islamic studies in their curriculum if Muslims are to regain their hard-earned educational superiority and academic supremacy from the West,” he noted.
He also advocated for “Modern language teaching method of Arabic as a foreign language should be employed for students in order to acquire the required skills within a short period of time, the modern language facilities should not be left out.”
The honouree, Dr Ibrahim, appreciated the university for finding him worthy, promising to keep doing his best for the advancement of the university.”
In her welcome address, the Dean of the College of Arts and Education, Fountain University, Professor Sherifat Labo-Popoola, who noted that the college had earlier held a workshop, said the annual lecture was named after the Pro-Chancellor in appreciation of his commitment to the development of the university.
“Today marks another milestone in our College as we launch an annual programme designed to foster intellectual wisdom, spiritual enrichment and community engagement in line with the prophetic tradition of seeking knowledge.
“This programme was named after our university Pro-Chancellor in appreciation of his unwavering commitment to the growth of our college and university at large,” Prof. Labo-Popoola stated.
