By Mark Orgu, News/Comments
Last week Thursday, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa on a visit to Yaba College of Technology, Lagos, announced that the Federal government would upgrade the College to a University. This drew jubilation among the College’s community, alumni members and lovers of good news-even when there was no clear specification from the Minister on when FG will kick start the process.
The Education Minister in his eloquent speech caught the attention of the College staff while extolling the prowess and capacity building of the management, In fact, he said: “I am happy, impressed and delighted for all that have seen”.
The Minister as a messenger did not stop there as he reiterated again: “I am deeply impressed by the level of care and commitment that has gone into maintaining the college’s infrastructures, this speaks of the management’s dedication to excellence, and I commend you for upholding such high standards. The federal government is fully committed to supporting this institution as it continues to grow and evolve.”
As the high praises continue, The Minister then came with the message of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of his willingness to upgrade the College into a University status, and even stated FG’s eagerness to begin the process as soon as possible.
While it is good to commend Federal government’s gesture towards turning the College into a university, it would also be bad if at the end, all the efforts are seen as a jamboree, just as it was in the past.
The College has paid her due for years in terms of building strong values and capacity, and one would have expected that the College should have been turned into a University long again but nepotism and favourism has made the Polytechnic helpless. This is why all hands should be on desk to actualize this long overdue dream. The Alumni body of the College must be vigilant and must put pressure on FG to ensure that the process of the university begin as quickly as possible.
A Polytechnic with more 200 staff Doctorate degrees holders as published by the School, , with technical know-how, manpower development and vision driven capacity, and in fact, can conveniently compete with universities across Africa is left in the shore of Polytechnic education.
Yabatech from inception has pedigree and proven track records of academic excellence and innovations. Its 70 years of operation has given hope and opportunities to many Nigerians who must have gone through the School. It is time to act now, let the announcement of the Minister not be like the actor playing a script of entertainment, let it not be fiction but real and let history be broken that President Tinubu made it a reality.
Flash back
Recall that in 2016, the Nigerian Senate made a move to convert Kaduna Polytechnic and Yaba College of Technology (Yabatech) to universities. Two bills on the conversion of the institutions scaled through first reading during the plenary. The then Senator Gbenga Ashafa, who represented Lagos East Senatorial district in the 8th Assembly moved a motion to convert the College to a full blow University. Same day, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC Kano) had also made same move towards the turning of Kaduna Polytechnic to City University of Technology, Kaduna, just as Yabatech was to be City University, Yaba. At this proposal, the former Minister of Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai set up a 20-man committee to look into the proposal but as usual, Nigerians didn’t see the outcome.
In 2019, the Premium times had also quoted Mr. Ashafa, saying that when the bill is enacted into law, Yabatech will have the power to establish campuses, institute professorships and readerships, award fellowships and scholarships, grant degrees, diplomas, certificates as well as honorary degrees.
The Senator however stated that section 8 of the bill, which he was sponsoring then will provided that, all property held by or on behalf of YABATECH shall henceforth be vested in the university and be held by it for the purposes of the university.
“Notably, all the staff hereby transferred to the university and previous service shall count as service for the purposes of any pension payable by the university,” he added. The bill was passed in a unanimous vote by the lawmakers.
Orgu, writes from Warri, Delta State
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