Ali Ndume, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, has thrown his support behind Borno Governor Babagana Zulum’s appeal to President Bola Tinubu not to merge the Nigerian Army University Biu with the Nigerian Defense Academy.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri on Friday, Ndume revealed that Borno state and the North-Eastern states, in general, have been benefiting educationally from the Army University Biu, which was established in 2018.
He emphasised that for the Army University to be merged or subsumed, it must be through an Act of Parliament.
Ndume pointed out that the Army University Biu has already graduated its first set of students, with many undergraduates awaiting graduation and the issuance of their statements of results or certificates.
He stressed that scrapping such a top civil-military institution goes against development and research.
“The NAUB was created out of necessity and to ensure there is civil-military relationship in the North Eastern parts of the country, especially Borno state which has suffered the devastation of lives and property due to over decade Boko Haram ( Western Education is Sin) insurgency.
“Secondly, the NAUB is not part of the Oronsaye Report. The OCR was in 2012, while NAUB was established in 2018 by approval of the National Executive with the enactment of an appropriate law that backed it up after I sponsored that Bill.
“NAUB is assented to by the then President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and therefore is a law, and only another law can repel or subsume it to become another institution or faculty as the case may be.
“The NDA is purely a military defense institution to train Military Officers, be it Army, Navy or Airforce, while 75% of the students’ population in NAUB are civilians studying various degree courses in the existing six (6) faculties that are fully accredited by the Nigeria Universities Commission, NUC. Therefore you cannot merge this University with and institution that is purely mandated to train Military Officers.
“To this end, our Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum has already made the position of Borno State Government clear by appealing to the President or the federal government to backtrack on its matter, considering the fact that Borno has only one federal university/institution in Maiduguri serving the whole North East, before the establishment of NAUB, compared to other states that has many federal institutions.
“In addition, NAUB is also established in order to carter for admitting all Nigerians irrespective of where they came from. Let me give you an example, our neighbouring Adamawa state currently has two federal universities, one in Jimeta-Yola and the other is located in Mubi.
“Infact, even on 29th February 2024, the Senate passed a bill for the establishment of a Federal University of Technology in Ilaro, Ogun state. Several federal universities which were established have not been included in the merger, and we see no reason why NAUB will be merged with NDA.
“We just held an emergency meeting with Borno Elders, including those from Southern Borno where the University is located. We deliberated and came up with a position similar to that of our Governor, so we are going to write our resolution to the federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to delist NAUB from the merger.
“This is very important because, and I want to use this opportunity to call on the people of southern Borno Senatorial District to remain calm and be law-abiding, as we strive to ensure justice,” Ndume stated.
Recall that the Oronsaye Committee Report (OCR) 2012, hitherto adopted by the federal government seeks to merge or scrap several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including institutions with duplicating functions as a means of cutting costs in governance.