By Garba M. Muhammad
Prominent Communication Scholar, Prof Umaru Pate has emerged as the new Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Kashere, Gombe State, after beating 10 other contenders, EDUCATION MONITOR authoritatively reports.
The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Barr. Yakubu A.H. Ruba, SAN, announced the development on Thursday after the selection process at the University’s Chamber. Prof Pate succeeds Prof Alhassan Gani whose tenure ends on February 11, 2021.
He had the highest score of 92.2 percent to defeat Professor Polycarp Emeka Chigbu, who scored 77.8 percent and Professor Santaya Larit Kela, who came third with 75.5 percent.
The new Vice Chancellor who holds a traditional title of ‘Kaigaman Adamawa’, was the Pioneer Dean, Faculty of Communications, Bayero University Kano (BUK) and currently the Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies of the school.
Speaking shortly after receiving his appointment letter, Prof Pate who thanked the Council for finding him worthy to steer affairs of the university however promised to take the institution to greater heights.
The Adamawa born and one of Nigeria’s most celebrated communications scholar, Pate, who is a Professor of Media and Society advocate of investigative journalism, has won several international grants for Communication.
Pate’s stride includes the modication of Nigerian Journalism curriculum to address trends in the industry.
The Professor was very instrumental in securing a television license for the faculty of communication, Bayero University Kano, to operate a commercially viable television, an exceptional achievement among public universities in Nigeria.
Pate is committed to training and mentoring young journalists and academics from from different parts of the world.
He has authored many books and academic articles and has attended several national and international conferences. Professor Pate is also the Chairman, MacArthur Foundation implementation committee at BUK.
Pate is a member of UNESCO Network of Communication Professors and he has been household name in the media industry and the academia in Nigeria and beyond.
He is highly cited locally and internationally in the areas of peace and conflict resolution, political communication, media freedom, development communication, health communication, to mention but a few.
Since the coming of new media at the beginning of this decade, Pate has consistently and persistently been campaigning against FAKE NEWS- in view of potential danger to the growth of multi ethnic and multi religious societies like Nigeria.
Before relocating to BUK as a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication, he was a Professor in the Department of Mass Communication at the University of Maiduguri where he rose through the ranks beginning as a Graduate Assistant in 1988, Associate Professor in 2002 and full Professor in 2007.
Professor Pate headed the Mass Communication Department in that University for seven years. Pate holds a PhD, Master of Philosophy and Bachelor of Arts degrees in Mass Communication which he obtained in 1997, 1990 and 1987 respectively
In November, 2017, Professor Pate was appointed by UNESCO headquarters in Paris as Director representing Africa on the six persons Board of Directors of the prestigious International Network of UNESCO Professors in Communication with Headquarters at the University of Quebec at Montreal, Canada.
Pate is an editorial advisor to more than ten communication journals in and outside Nigeria. He has been an external examiner to over fifteen Universities in Nigeria and abroad.
Some of the Universities include: Lagos, Ibadan, Nsukka, Covenant, Jos, Babcock, ABU, Awka, Leicester (UK), Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Tehran (Iran).