Prof. Ibrahim Garba of Geology Department, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria on Thursday, assumed duty as Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the institution.

Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, the outgoing VC, Prof. Abdullahi Mustapha, appealed to staff, students and entire university community to extend similar support given to him to the new VC.

Professor Ibrahim Garba

He said “nobody knows where each one of us would have been today without ABU. Therefore, we want to do everything possible to make ABU the best university in Africa.

“I will not congratulate you for taking my seat for now, I will pray for you, but I will only congratulate you when you successfully complete your five-year tenure in office”, Mustapha said.

In an acceptance speech, the new VC solicited the support and cooperation of staff and students to take the university to greater heights.

He described the VC’s office as a place that one must be humble to lead and not a place for one to raise his head up.

“Remember, many have held the position and gone elsewhere or gone to the grave. There is a time to come and there is a time to go but ABU will always remain.

The VC promised to operate an open-door policy by accepting advice from the outgoing VC as well as colleagues with a view to moving the institution forward.

Garba’s appointment was announced by the Chairman, Governing Council, ABU, Alhaji Mohammed Dewu shortly after the council’s 162nd meeting on Saturday, March 21, 2015.

Garba, who emerged first out of 24 professors who vied for the post, was born on Feb. 25, 1957 at Ririwai in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State.

A specialist in Economic Geology, the new VC got his first and second degrees from ABU in 1980 and 1985 respectively and bagged his PhD in Geology from University of London.

Garba, a former VC at Kano State University of Science and Technology, Wudil, had worked at ABU for over 27 years.