Says: It’s Anti-Igbo
The Imo State House of Assembly has passed resolution urging the state governor, Governor Rochas Okorocha to interface with President Muhammadu Buhari to stop the planned reversal of the university status already granted the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, by the immediate past government of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Speaking on a motion to that effect, the state House of Assembly rejected in its entirely, moves by the Federal Government to reverse the status of the University of Education to a college of education few months after it was granted.
In the motion, presented during the plenary session, as a matter of urgent public importance by the member representing Ikeduru state constituency, Hon. Uche Oguwuike, House urged the Imo state government to as a matter of urgency interface with the Federal Government to ensure that the university’s status remains, given the fact that the university has been assigned a vice chancellor in the person of Prof. Sadiq Abubakar.
The motion attracted reactions by majority of the state lawmakers with many kicking against any plan to reverse the status of the university to a college of education.
The member representing Aboh Mbaise constituency, Mike Iheanetu said that the planned reversion of the university’s status to a college was borne out of sheer hatred on the people of Imo State and Ndigbo in general, even as he lamented that by so doing, those behind the purported plan wished that the effort of the immediate past Minister of Education, Prof (Mrs.) Viola Onwuliri were in vain.
According to the lawmaker who spoke in order that Imo state government should as a matter of urgency interface with the Federal Government to ensure that the university’s status remains, given the fact that the university has been assigned a vice chancellor in the person of Prof. Sadiq Abubakar.
The House also considered among other things that the rummoured reversion of the university’s status was not unconnected with the fact that Ndigbo and people of Imo State were still regarded as second class citizens since after the civil war which ended in 1970.
However, in an apparent step to ensure that the motion which has majority support of the state lawmakers, sailed through, the member representing Isu constituency, Hon. (Mrs.) Ngozi Obiefule was quickly overruled giving way for Hon. Kennedy Ibeh (Obowo), Oguwuike (Ikeduru), Hon. Iheanetu (Aboh Mbaise), Hon. Chinedu Ofor and others to support the House of assembly resolution, mandating the governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha to lead a high-power delegation to the Federal Government to ensure that it retains the university’s status.
