By Citizenship News
Former Bauchi State Governor, Isa Yuguda and other stakeholders in the state, have expressed support for the Senate’s proposal to convert Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, into a conventional university.
Yuguda and other supporters made their positions known at a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to gather stakeholders’ views on the proposed legislation.
The hearing, chaired by Senator Muntari Dandutse (APC, Katsina), was convened to receive inputs and perspectives from relevant stakeholders on the bill seeking to amend the university’s enabling Act.
In his presentation, Yuguda argued that opposition to the conversion would be unfair to the people of Bauchi State and surrounding communities, given the challenges faced by students seeking to study courses not currently offered by the institution.
According to him, “Anyone who is against converting the university to a conventional one is not being fair.
“I know what I went through to ensure ATBU started running medicine. Today, we have over 100 medical doctors. And now people sit here and say it should not be a conventional university?
“I studied economics and accounting. If economics is not offered at ATBU, why shouldn’t I advocate for its inclusion?
“There are many science, arts and social science courses that are not currently being offered but are needed,” he said.
However, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), ATBU branch, expressed opposition to the proposed amendment. The branch chairman, Haruna Angulu, said the union’s stance was clearly outlined in its position paper submitted to the committee.
“Our position is very clear. At a time when the world is becoming more technology-driven, what is required is increased funding to strengthen and make the existing specialised university of technology more effective, rather than converting it into a conventional university,” he stated.
Angulu added that ATBU is the only university of technology in the North-East, stressing the importance of preserving its specialised status.
Earlier, in his keynote address, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said lawmakers, as representatives of the Nigerian people, have a duty to ensure that legislation affecting national institutions is thoroughly scrutinised and enriched by contributions from those with deep understanding of the issues.
He noted that ATBU has, over the years, served as a major centre of excellence in science, technology, research and innovation, but added that the institution, like many public establishments, has outgrown the framework of its original enabling Act.
“The university has evolved beyond what was envisaged when its Act was first enacted. I therefore urge all stakeholders, academics, administrators, regulators, students, civil society organisations and development partners, to engage constructively in this process,” Akpabio said.
In his opening remarks, the committee chairman, Senator Dandutse, explained that the public hearing was aimed at ensuring the amendment bill benefits from the collective wisdom of relevant institutions and individuals.
He observed that ATBU has developed into a major centre for learning and technological advancement, but noted that as the university expands in programmes, structure and responsibilities, some provisions of the existing law have become inadequate.
According to him, the proposed amendment seeks to strengthen institutional governance, clarify the roles and responsibilities of key officers, and broaden academic offerings to include more programmes in the arts, social sciences and humanities, an initiative that has generated widespread debate among academics, students, policymakers and industry experts.
