kogi, Nasarawa clash over site for new FG’s varsity

kogi, Nasarawa clash over site for new FG’s varsity 


Written by Taiwo Adisa, Abuja
Monday, 15 November 2010

source: Nigerian Tribune

The decision of the Federal Government to establish six new universities in the geopolitical zone has pitched Kogi and Nasarawa states against each other, as the two states are on each other’s throats over the location of the university in the North-Central zone.

Besides the quarrel between Kogi and Nasarawa states over the university, the governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, and Senator representing Kogi West, Senator Smart Adeyemi, have also clashed over the decision by the governor to recommend the upgrading of the state university in Ayangba, Kogi East Senatorial district, rather than support Adeyemi’s position that the new university be taken to Kogi West.

A committee set up by the Federal Government to rationalise the site of the new universities in the geo-political zones, headed by the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okogie, had recommended that the one for North Central be sited in Nasarawa State.

But the governor of Kogi State protested the decision, with Senator Smart Adeyemi, whose position was that the school should be located in Kogi West, which, he said, was the most marginalised area in terms of educational institutions.

It was gathered that only the location of the university in the North-Central zone became problematic so far as the other five zones have settled their matters.

A source close to the NUC stated that all the sites recommended by the NUC Executive Secretary had been accepted by the zones except that of North-Central.

The source spoke of intense lobbying by officials of Kogi and Nasarawa as well as another internal conflict in Kogi over the same issue.

The source said: “All the sites proposed by the Okojie Committee were accepted except that of the North-Central. Series of protests are being handled over that matter.

“The Kogi State governor and Senator Smart Adeyemi have faulted the choice of Nasarawa State by the committee. When the two leaders appeared before the committee last Friday, they made their position known but the committee stuck to its choice.”