New students register at the University of Juba last month.[©Gurtong]
By Peter Lokale Nakimangole
TORIT, 11 August 2010 (Gurtong) – The high – powered team was set up by Sudanese President Omar al Bashir in April following his campaign pledge in March this year that a university will be established in the state headquarters Torit.
Al Bashir appointed Dr Victor Loku Kwajok head of the 8- member technical team that is charged with the responsibility of designing the necessary modalities of establishing the university.
The team visited Torit Technical Teachers’ Training Centre, the State Ministry of Agriculture, Finance, Housing and Public Utilities, the Commissioner of Torit, NGOs operating in the state as well as the university site to acquaint themselves with and explore available resources.
It also paid a courtesy call on the Eastern Equatoria State Governor Brigadier General Louis Lobong Lojore, where discussions on the state government’s involvement in setting up and managing the institution before next year’s referendum were held.
The team was introduced to the Governor by the State Minister of Education, Science and Technology Michael Lopuke Lotyam.
Dr Loku said that the university is likely to score greater economic development in the state owing to its huge wealth potential in terms of agriculture, fisheries, minerals, forestry and wildlife.
“These potential natural resources can only be realised through application and utilisation of scientific research and appropriate technology. This is the main task that Torit University of Science and Technology seeks to undertake”, he said.
Dr Loku said the institution will entirely belong to the citizens of Eastern Equatoria and hence should not be “construed to be an exclusive affair of the Government of Eastern Equatoria State and the university administration”.
“Therefore, I would like to make it very clear that this institution of higher education will collectively be managed by the sons and daughters of this state who will from time to time participate as members of the university’s council, boards and other administrative and technical functions as stipulated in the University Act 2010,” he explained.
He added that although the state government has planned to locate the facility at its administrative centre, Torit, the university will be decentralized by having its campuses in various parts of the state basing on available resources, community’s demand and the government’s will to support the cause.
Dr Loku said that since the university will be a science and technology institution priority shall be given to science - based colleges like those for agriculture, veterinary, and natural sciences as well as earth science among others.
“In due course other colleges will be established such as those for education, economics and business studies and law and legal studies”, he said.
He highlighted the essential components that should be in place prior to the university becoming operational as the university administration blocks, the main laboratories for physics, biology and chemistry, the main library, lecture halls, accommodation for teaching staff, the students’ hostels as well as other social amenities including water and power supply.
Governor Lojore assured the team of his government’s support in establishing the institution of higher learning in the state, saying the state’s educational facilities were hard hit by the civil war.
Other members of the team also included: the Deputy Speaker at the Council of States at the National Assembly in Khartoum Remy Oler Itorong, Associate Professor of economics, at the University of Juba Dr Billy Berto Madison, Associate Professor of law at the University of Juba Dr Camillo Odwa Haswani and Associate Professor of Economics and Management at the University of Bahr el Ghazal Dr Valeriano Orasio Loyalala.
Also in the team were: the Associate Professor of Statistics and Director for Distance Education at the University of Juba Jaafar Kerim Juma, Senior Lecturer at the College of Education, University of Juba Ustaz Adam Cholong Ahad and Senior Lecturer at the College of Wildlife at the University of Juba Ustaz Luka Ipoto Ojok.