From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Controversy is brewing in Bayelsa State over the establishment of a private university, African International University.
The state government denied that Governor Seriake Dickson owns the university.
Bayelsans had raised eyebrows over the speed with which the Bill seeking to establish the university passed through all the readings and eventually passed into law, when the state is still grappling with the on-going crisis in the state-owned Niger Delta University (NDU) over unpaid salaries.
The bill sponsored by leader of the House, Mr. Peter Akpe, on July 19, scaled first and second readings at a plenary presided over by Speaker Konbowei Benson.
Daily Sun investigations revealed that the bill was referred to the House Committee on Education, which gave its nod and after the third reading, was passed into law.
Akpe explained that the proposed university would leverage on the partnerships establishing it to explore its relationships with universities in the United States and Europe for the benefit of Bayelsans.
While noting that the running of the university would be based on public-private partnership initiative, he expressed concern over the state’s failure to meet foreign scholarship obligations.
Messrs. Bernard Kenebai, Gentle Emelah and Mrs Ebiowou Koku-Obiyai said the bill would make Bayelsa the preferred destination for higher education in the country.
Meanwhile, Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Jonathan Obuebite has dismissed that the proposed university belongs to Dickson.
Obuebite in a statement said private investors, which needed partnership with the state, conceived the idea to establish the new institution.