President Bola Tinubu has agreed to think about a request to stop the joining of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State with the Nigerian Defence Academy, Abuja.
This came after private discussions between the President and the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja, on Friday.
“So I have met with the President. We requested that the Nigerian Army University should be changed to a regular university under the Federal Ministry Education, instead of merging it with the Nigeria Defence Academy.
“And I’m pleased to tell you that the President has instructed me to write to him about 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.
As a result, 29 government agencies will be blended while eight parastatals will be incorporated into eight other agencies.
Additionally, four agencies were targeted for relocation to four different ministries and one was set to be scrapped.
An implementation committee headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, has been instructed to carry out the recommendations within 12 weeks.
Among those to be merged is the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno State, which will operate as a faculty in the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna.
However, Zulum said the plan would have devastating effects for the region, including increasing its already large out-of-school population.
Zulum clarified, “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 oronsoye report.
“The government and people of Borno State have praised this great initiative. It is a very good one. But nonetheless, we have requested to Mr. President to rethink the issue of Army Univeristy merger with the Nigeria Defence Academy.”
He said the institution serves a large population from Southern Borno whose chances of getting a tertiary education are in danger.
“Southern Borno State is a very important region, not only in Borno state, but also in the entire country.
“There are a large number of children that are eager to study, and they don’t have any federal universities in the zone. Once this army university is merged with NDA, we may encounter a large number of out-of-school children due to 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.
