By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
Professor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has in strong terms, appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a matter of importance, to reconsider federal government’s decision last week Thursday, to merge Nigerian Army University, Biu (NAB) in Borno State with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna to become a faculty instead of a full fledged varsity.
He also pointed out that the university has so far, admitted and graduated lots of students at various levels from various parts of the country, not only the North East zone, but also across the country, that were unable to gain admission into other tertiary institutions in their own states and regions.
The governor made the appeal on Thursday, immediately after inspection of distribution of food palliatives to the citizens of Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) and Jere LGA of Maiduguri metropolis at El Kanemi Warriors Sports Center Maiduguri in an interview with journalists.
According to him, Borno State and the North East region are currently in the process of conflict recovery from the more than fourteen years Boko Haram conflict that has destroyed hundreds, if not thousands of educational facilities and amenities.
He added that these facilities and amenities need to be rebuilt, resuscitated and rehabilitated or replaced in order to fast track the recovery of the educational facilities with and through provision and establishment of additional or more educational institutions in the state and region.
Zulum maintained that with educational facilities available and enhanced in the state and region, it will facilitate the countering of the negative narratives of Boko Haram insurgency against education and to also boost the non-kinetic efforts and processes of approaching the conflict towards peace building, rehabilitation, reconciliation and reintegration among other measures.
“If its possible, they should allow it as Army University because of the importance of education in this part of the country, while Boko Haram is saying that education is forbidden.
“So, by allowing this university to be scrapped, they might have achieved one or two of their own objectives.
“In all fairness to the Federal Government, this decision is timely especially at this material time that the government is making efforts to reposition the economy of the nation,” Zulum said
The governor however, suggested that the Federal Ministry of Education can even take over the Nigerian Army University Biu and convert it to a conventional university and allow it to exist as a varsity for the state and region.
He also commended President Bola Tinubu for taking the bull by the horn to rationalize some federal government agencies and parastatals in order to reduce overhead costs in running such departments.
It would be recalled that these agencies and parastatals have similar or multiple or double or dual and duplicating roles, functions and responsibilities with their central or main federal ministries and departments as well as similar organizations rendering others to be redundant and idle against effective leadership and good governance as well as accountability.
Zulum’s reaction followed President Bola Tinubu’s directive last Monday, on the implementation of Stephen Oronsanye’s Report on restructuring of federal government’s agencies, parastatals and commissions among others.
