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From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Borno Governor, Babagana Zulum, has appealed to the Federal Government not to merge the Nigerian Army University situated in the state.
He said scrapping and merging the university as announced by the Federal Government as part of the implementation of Oronsaye report on public service reforms, would further worsen access to education in the area still grappling with poor education and allow the Boko Haram terrorists to achieve their goals of killing education.
“I want to appeal to the Federal Government on the merger of the Army University, Biu with the National University Commission.
“Borno State has been facing a serious crisis for the past 15 years and as a result of this, many of our children could not have access to education,” he said in an interview with newsmen.
On Monday, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved and announced the scrapping of some government agencies as recommended in the Stephen Oronsaye report on public service reforms.
The Nigerian Army University established in 2018 and located at Biu, Borno southern town, would be merged with the Defence Academy in Kaduna, in the North West.
Zulum, in his first reaction to the development, said the Army University, Biu was important to the people of Borno and neighbouring states.
He said the institution has been providing greater opportunities for students in the area. He maintained that many students would be denied access to quality education should the government scrap the university.
“They should allow the university to continue because of the importance of education in this part of the country where Boko Haram is saying education is forbidden,” he said.
He said scrapping of the university will further accentuate the insurgents’ wild ideological disposition.
He also counselled against scrapping of the National Centre for Agricultural Mechanisation (NCAM) located in Ilorin, Kwara State.
He said he visited the agency recently and saw a lot of agricultural machinery being fabricated. He said the nation needs such productive agency now to tackle the prevailing food crisis.
