NASS kicks as FG moves specialised varsities to agric ministry

THE Federal Government has moved the Federal Universities of Agriculture from supervision of Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Agriculture.

The announcement of the development by the Minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu, on Tuesday in Abuja, however, drew the ire of the National Assembly with the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Honourable Suleiman Aminu, openly describing the decision of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) as hasty and ill-conceived.

Trouble started when Adamu in his remark at the inauguration the Governing Councils of the 23 Federal Universities recently constituted by President Muhammadu Buhari, said it was the last time he would be inaugurating the Councils of Universities of Agriculture because the institutions have been moved to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture.

He said it was unfortunate that the Minister of Agriculture, Mr Audu Ogbeh, who was invited to witness the inauguration of the Governing Councils of some Universities of Agriculture failed to turn up.

But when the Chairman, House Committee on Education, Federal House of Representatives, Hon. Suleiman Aminu, fired salvo at the Minister that he was using fiat to make changes in institutions created by law.

He said the Federal Executive Council could not have approved the movement of the Universities of Agriculture to the Ministry of Agriculture without due consultation with critical stakeholders.

Aminu, insisted that there should have been a lot more discussion on the issue before the government’s pronouncement, saying the National Assembly on getting wind of the development had commenced process of dialoguing with stakeholders to seek their inputs on the issue.

He said: “There should be a lot of discussion. World over, there are specialise universities but they are not restricted this way. Even if you are going to change anything, it cannot be by fiat because these are institutions created by law”.

The Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, however, countered Aminu, when he was given opportunity to deliver his goodwill message at the event, insisting the decision of the Federal Executive Council was in the interest of the development of the country.

He said: “I’m a member of the Federal Executive Council and I stand by the resolution of the Council as delivered by the Minister of Education. The decision stands”,

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education, Adamu, while inaugurating the councils, warned the members against corruption and undue interference in the day-to-day running of the universities.

He warned that any governing council that fails in its statutory responsibility of properly managing the governance crisis in its university, including appropriate sanctions on erring officers, after following due process and diligence, “such a governing council shall be dissolved for incompetence in line with the provision of the Act appointing you”.

Adamu, also recalled that part of the salary crises being faced by many universities were as a result of reckless employment of staff without compliance with the approved budgetary ratio for personnel cost.

He said this lopsided employment pattern by some current and previous vice chancellors and councils have been to the detriment of the development of infrastructure of the affected universities.

He said the selection process leading to the inauguration was painstakingly accomplished in to ensure that only men and women of character, integrity and knowledge, who would add value to the Nigerian university system, were constituted into the governing councils of Federal universities.

He said: “It is necessary to point out some areas of potential conflicts and pitfalls encountered by governing councils, which in some instances had necessitated government intervention and the institution of appropriate penalty, including the dissolution of such councils.

“Some of the areas of conflicts include: unwholesome practices in the award of contracts in defiance of the provisions of the Public Procurement Act (2007).

“Sharp practices and allegations of bribery in the appointment of principal officers of the university without regards to due process and due diligence, thereby imposing incompetent and inexperience persons on the university system,” he said.