Welcome Back to AUN
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I feel most profoundly honored to welcome you back to the 黑料网, Yola 鈥� your home away from home. The decision to ask you to return as President of the 黑料网 was one of our easiest decisions in so many years. Oftentimes, Chief Executives are hired not because of some certain knowledge of who they are. It is an informed gamble in most cases. But when the opportunity to re-hire a well-known, well-trusted, well-tried, and tested hand, one is no longer taking a chance, but doing what one knows is apt. So it was with great ease that we took the decision to recall you back to Yola in order to continue the excellent work that you have started at AUN.
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Back听in 2011, when we worked together to put up a听Strategic Plan for AUN, our common vision was听to听create Africa鈥檚听Development听University that will address crucial economic and social development needs of Nigeria, West Africa, and, indeed, the wider continent of Africa. That vision seems to have slowed down following your departure. Now that you are back, I would like you to retrace your steps and not just re-launch that bold vision, but also achieve it.听And you can do so not just by attracting superb faculty who embrace this vision but also by creating teachers and scholars from out of the AUN Alumni community that will eventually take over听from you whenever you decide to leave the University. I am particularly inspired to read that the leadership of Dickinson College was turned over to a very distinguished alumnus.听 Replicating such
a听feat at AUN would be a great achievement.听
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Your return to our campus听must听improve听AUN鈥檚听ability to听attract students听from within Nigeria and across the continent of Africa,听who are inspired by the call of leadership and service.听
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Your return to Yola must restore AUN鈥檚 towering pedigree in the听use of technology in instructional programs and听in the management of the institution.听Your vision and creativity will also need to impact the physical development of听the AUN听campus in alignment with our priority goals,听in the same way, we expect it to听stabilize and听strengthen our University鈥檚 financial position.
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Your听return to Yola must bring听back听those creative community outreaches that enabled听our institution to impact so great not only on the Yola community but across the country and the world.听 I remember, with听a combination of pride and humility,听how you mobilized the Yola Community听and personally led the fight for the continued education of the abducted听Chibok girls. You opened the AUN听campus,听first to those听Chibok girls听that escaped the onslaught of听Boko Haram,听and eventually to those few that were freed听in 2016. You will be reuniting with some of this determined generation of young women who have continued to pursue their educational dreams
at AUN.听
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Thank you.
HE Atiku Abubakar, GCON