Members of the House of Representatives, on Thursday, expressed a divergent opinion on the increase in the establishment of public universities in the face of the dwindling revenue and the Federal Government’s failure to resolve the prolonged industrial action declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Tribune reports that the lawmakers expressed their concern during the debate on the Bill for an Act to establish a Federal University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State.
According to the Majority Leader, Hon Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, who observed that the bill was transmitted by the Senate for concurrence, explained that the proposed legislation seeks to address the need for a transport-focused education, training and research-based institution to complement the dearth of human capacity in the transportation sector with a deepened focus on the nation’s rejuvenated railways.
While expressing his view, Hon Ifeanyi Momah (PDP-Anambra) questioned the necessity of the University of Transportation in Daura, Katsina State when there is the Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology (NITT) in Zaria, Kaduna State that can perform the same function, called for the amendment of the NIIT Act.
He said: “I’m just thinking aloud because we have the NITT – Nigeria Institute of Transport Technology – in Zaria. When there is an institute of transport technology, which deals with the science of transportation itself.
“Why are we now looking at establishing a Federal University of Transportation. We can amend the enabling law – theAct – and upgrade the NITT to a federal university. Why I’m saying this is that the constant proliferation of universities in our country is not helping us. That is the truth!
“We have so many universities here and there. We have so many university bills and at the end, when they are approved, we will be talking about funding – no funding. And we know the current situation we are facing right now in the academic sector. So, I plead with the sponsor of the bill to reconsider in the interest of public policy.”
In his intervention, however the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila disclosed that ASUU during last Tuesday meeting pleaded with lawmakers to curb the establishment of additional universities, as part of solution to the challenges bedevilling the system.
He said: “It is a concurrence bill from the Senate, so we will put the question first and then we will now answer how we will move forward.
“Honourable Colleagues, do we continue to bring bills for university establishment at this point in time when we know there is even no revenue?”
In response to the Speaker’s inquest, shouted ‘nay’.
While ruling on the bill, Hon. Gbajabiamila said: “This is a more serious matter. We have been meeting with ASUU. We had a five-hour meeting with ASUU a couple of days ago.
“What they said, which was uniformly agreed, was that this establishment of universities, even in the NUC bill that is before us for amendment, they pleaded that we put a curb – ‘curb’ is what they used.”
In his contribution, the Minority Leader, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu said the Parliament cannot abruptly stopped members from sponsoring bills to establish educational institutions as most Constituents use that as the benchmark of assessing their representatives.
Hon Elumelu said: “In my opinion, I think it is not wise to shut down every voice or every member on this floor as it relates to sponsoring a bill for the establishment of either college of education or polytechnic or university in their various communities.
“Mr Speaker, I said this because when you go home and you are talking to your people, most often, the first thing they ask you is ‘why are you not bringing any school to your constituency?’ And when you say it is not possible and they see your colleagues sponsoring same bills for the establishment of universities, it becomes a negative for you as an individual who is representing them.
“So, whether it is signed or not, it is not the issue; the issue is that that member is able to show that he has the interest of his constituents at heart. Outside that, addressing the issue you have raised, perhaps when it comes to the issue of funding, I think the committee should do some work and find out how we can come to agreeable terms on how to fund the schools what would be further established in Nigeria. I think that is the way to go.”
While ruling, Hon. Gbajabiamila who stressed the need to strike a balance between what they feel is right and the expectation of the constituents harped on the need for the House to put stringent conditions for the establishment of universities in the Nigerian Universities Commission bill, with a view to prevent the proliferation of schools.
He stated that the effort is similar to the consolidation of banks done under former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Charles Soludo.
He added that the stringent measures will be in place until “such a time when the government is no longer funding universities, you can have 200 in your state. That is the business of the university, not the business of the government.”
/Tribune
