Our Reporter
THE Senate Committee on Army Tuesday urged the Nigerian Army and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to consider the decentralisation of the Nigerian Army University in Biu, Borno State.
The committee spoke in Abuja at a public hearing on the establishment of the institution.
Chairman of the Senate Commission on Army, Ali Ndume, told the leadership of the Army, led by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, that campuses of the institution should be sited in each geopolitical zone of the country.
He said the idea would not only guarantee unity but would further mitigate insecurity in the zones.
Addressing reporters after the public hearing, Ndume said: “We will consider recommending the establishment of the Nigerian Army University in all the six geopolitical zones in the country.
“We have said at the public hearing that it is the best way to go, and the Army and NUC agreed with our suggestion.”
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Also, a member of the committee, Senator Uche Ekwunife, said the beneficiary communities where the proposed campuses would be sited would gladly donate land for the project.
She said: “This is a specialised university and first of its kind in Nigeria. Crime has no colour, crime has no religion. Crime is crime in any part of the country.”
“That is why we suggested that we should have campuses in every zone while we have the epicentre in Borno State, where the university is already sited.
“It is a noble idea because other committee members supported it. It is right to have the specialised schools in all the zones. It will help us, not only in terms of technological advancement, but to also reduce crime rate.
“It will also unite the country, bring development to the country and stem the crime rate in the country.”
On the admission process, Ndume said the record of the university in last two years showed that two sets had matriculated once, now moving to part two.
He added: “If you look at the admission details, about 80 per cent of the students so far admitted and registered are from other geopolitical zones, different from the Northeast.
“In other Federal Government universities in the country, they set catchment areas. But this is not the case here because there is no state of origin here. Once you are a Nigerian and you meet the admission requirements, you will be admitted.”
Buratai said the university will be beneficial to all Nigerians, regardless of their geopolitical zone.
He described the Army University as a world-class institution that had been approved by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
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