Bola Tinubu has agreed to consider a request to prevent the merging of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State with the Nigerian Defence Academy, Abuja.
This followed closed-door talks between the President and the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
“So I have seen the President. We pleaded that the Nigerian Army University should be converted to a conventional university under the Federal Ministry of Education, rather than collapsing it with the Nigeria Defence Academy.
“And I’m happy to inform you that the President has directed me to write to him on this very important matter, so that he will consider the request from the people,” said Zulum.
12 years after it received the Stephen Oronsaye Report, the Federal Government, on February 26, 2024, approved the implementation of some of its recommendations to reduce the cost of governance.
Consequently, 29 government agencies will be merged, even as eight parastatals will be subsumed into eight other agencies.
More so, four agencies were marked for relocation to four various ministries, while one was earmarked for scrapping.
An implementation committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, has been given 12 weeks to effect the recommendations.
Among those to be merged is the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, which will function as a faculty in the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
However, Zulum said the plan would spell devastating consequences for the region, including expanding its already large out-of-school population.
Zulum explained, “I saw Mr. President on the issue of Army University Biu, because recently, there was a communication from the presidency that some institutions will be merged according to the Oronsaye report.
“The government and people of Borno State have hailed this great initiative. It is a very good one. But, however, we have pleaded with Mr. President to reconsider the issue of Army University merger with the Nigeria Defence Academy.”
He said the institution serves a large population from southern Borno whose chances of getting a tertiary education is in jeopardy.
“Southern Borno State is a very important region, not only in Borno State but also in the entire country.
“There are a huge number of children that are willing to study, and they don’t have any federal universities in the zone. Once this army university is merged with the NDA, we may encounter a huge number of out-of-school children as a result of the absence of a university in that part of the state.
“The most important thing is that, the President has listened to me, and he has agreed to review the matter, Inshallah,” he noted.
