A bill passed by the Senate seeking to upgrade the Federal Polytechnic Ilaro in Ogun State to a university passed first reading at the House of Representatives on Wednesday.
The Federal University of Technology, Ilaro (Establishment) Bill, 2021, was transmitted to the House for concurrence before onward transmission to the president for assent.
The Senate had on June 1, 2021, passed the bill sponsored by an All Progressives Congress member, Senator Solomon Adeola, who is representing Lagos West Senatorial District.
Adeola had earlier sponsored the bill in the 8th Senate but could not be passed before the expiration of the Assembly. It was presented again in the 9th National Assembly for consideration and passage.
Speaking on the second phase of the legislative process, Adeola urged the House to expedite action on the bill, considering the importance of the school to the community and the nation at large.
The Senator said, “As the bill for the upgrade of Federal Polytechnic Ilaro to the Federal University of Technology Ilaro, which I sponsored and was passed in the Senate, moves to House of Representatives for concurrence, I want to appeal to the members of the House to expedite its passage in their chamber.
“I know many members of the House during my service as a member before coming to the Senate. They are men of integrity and cognate legislative experience and I urge them to expeditiously carry out their function in our bicameral legislature.
“The case of Federal University of Technology Ilaro is meritorious on the basis of already existing infrastructure and room for expansion in a semi-urban setting which is not found even in some existing state and new federal universities.”
Similarly, the House also passed for second reading on Wednesday, a bill seeking to establish an Admiralty University of Nigeria, Ibusa, which would offer programmes relating to the military.
Sponsor of the bill, Yusuf Gagdi, while leading the debate on the proposal, said it would be a conventional university with “selected programmes, limited and focused faculties to promote scholarship, research and other means of advancement of knowledge and its practical application to military hardware and software, and provide an opportunity of acquiring a higher and liberal education in Nigeria.”
Gagdi noted that the proposed university would offer courses of instruction leading to degrees, diplomas, certificates and other university distinctions in military policy, logistics and strategy, basic and applied sciences and arts, engineering, environmental and social sciences, education, agriculture, medical sciences, and any other field of study approved by the Senate of the university.
The lawmaker said, “The objectives of the university are to provide facilities for learning and give instruction and training in such branches of knowledge as the university may desire in order to ensure that students obtain the advantage of higher and liberal education;
“Promote research and other means of advancement of knowledge and its practical application to military hardware and software, social, cultural, economic, scientific and technological situations;
“Stimulate, particularly through teaching and research, interest in and appreciation of military policy, logistics and strategy;
“Encourage and promote scholarship and conduct research in selected fields of learning and human endeavour including entrepreneurship skills.
“Enhance the diffusion of knowledge throughout Nigeria in general and the Nigerian Army in particular; and undertake other activities appropriate for a university.”
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