HOUSE LEGISLATE ON ESTABLISHING UNIVERSITY WITH RESTRICTED PROGRAMMES IN ABA
The House of Representatives at its plenary session on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 passed for second reading a seeking for the establishment of a Federal university with a focused and restricted programmes to ensure equity, access and quality tertiary education. The bill got the nod of the lawmakers to be read the second time following an extensive debate on the merit and demerit of establishing such an educational institution in the country.
The sponsor, Hon. Solomon Adaelu who led the debate on the general principles of the Bill recalled that sometime in 2017, the Federal Ministry of Rural development and Agriculture issued a directive to Nigerian Universities of Agriculture to halt all non-agric related programmes in their syllabus, adding that the only specialized tertiary institution in this category is Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
He stated that the implication of the directive is that prospective students who want to study other professional courses like medicine, engineering or law may have to seek for admission elsewhere, “they are precluded from enrolling for such programmes within the State, he informed. Other members also lent their voices in support of the Bill to be passed and sent to the relevant Committee for further legislative action.
Meanwhile, the House has read for the third time the long awaited Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB). The Bill which is expected to bring about a radical change in the petroleum sector has indeed suffered a protracted legislative journey, especially from previous Assemblies. It’s now set to be transmitted to the Senate for concurrence.