By Rabiu Doma
The Nasarawa State House of Assembly has today slammed the chief executive of the state Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura for starving the state owned University of fund since the governor’s assumption of office two years ago.
The committee of the whole chided the Governor for using the state University as a political tool.
The action by the state assembly followed the suspension of the management team of the owned University by Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura. According to the Majority Leader of the state assembly, Honorable Godiya Akwashiki [PDP], this “…among other things compelled us, the members of the state Assembly to take decisive steps at the right direction”.
The lawmakers recommended that the Governor should revisit the suspension or face impeachment threat – the other recommendations include –
- The Governor should release fund to enable the Management of the institution carryout physical project in the campus, The University only rely on Internally Generated Revenue
- That the Governor should visit the institution as it was rightly said that the Governor is yet to visit the University after serving for two years in office.
- The House of Assembly also ordered the appearance of the state commissioner of Justice and Attorney General ,Honorable Innocent Lagi before the lawmakers for further explanation.
- The House in it recommendation described the report of the visitation panel which the Governor use as a tool to suspend the management of the school as a fallacy.
- The whitepaper is not ready-said the members ,adding that is a total sham on the recommendation.
The lawmakers also added that it is not for the Governor to decide to the management team of the university on details on how to administer the school. The lawmakers demanded that those affected should resumed duty immediately – while lamenting that the governor’s position falls in clear aberration of section 15 of the law establishing the state university [Nsuk].”Nsuk is the property of Nasarawa state people and should not be toyed with by an individual”.
Honorable Francis Orogu representing Keana constituency in Nasarawa State chastised the Governor for showing lack of remorse to the state University. “The Governor has been passing Keffi day and night to attend to state issues in Abuja but has never branchd to see for himself. It’s a pity”.
Other indicators of a lacking of remorse – point to the closure of the state owned media outfit, the Nigerian Newsday Newspaper – and the sacking of staffers of the state owned transport company – the”Nasarawa Express” popularly known as “On the Move”.
It is recalled that Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura had fired and/or suspended the vice chancellor of Nsuk [Professor Shamsudden Amali] – and had temporarily installed Prof. Aminu Mukailu the new Vice Chancellor.
The decision by the Governor resulted in the management of the university going on 6-month compulsory leave. The state commissioner of Justice and Attorney-General Hon. Innocent Lagi explained that the verdict to shelve the executive of the institution was reached at the State executive council meeting – that the council deliberated on the recommendations of a visitation panel set up in January by the Government before taking the resolution.
However a competent source from the institution who confided to our 247ureports.com correspondent stated that the suspension of the vice chancellor was not unconnected to the missing N200m doled out by President Good luck Ebele Jonathan to the University for the provision of potable drinking water.
Additionally, it was reliably gathered that the suspension of Professor Amali was meant to pave way for the former commissioner of finance and Economic Development, Professor Muhammed Akaro Mainoma an Indigene of Nasarawa State
