Those New Universities

   There were a lot of jubilation from across many parts of the country when late last year the minister of education professor Rukayyatu Rufa'i announced the Federal Government's intention to create 9 new federal universities to be located in some states that hitherto did not have the presence of federal universities. These universities are to take off some time in September this year. The universities are to be situated in Bayelsa (home state of the president), in Jigawa (the home state of the minister of education), Katsina (home state of the former president) among other states. The minister while making the announcement for the appointement of Vice chancellors and Registrars to man those universities, noted that the decision of the Federal Government to establish these universities was informed by the principle of equity in distribution of federal universities to cover all states of the federation. There were a lot of celebrations especially in those areas where the universities are to be sited. People were happy that at last the Government has remembered them.

   Creation of universities when done in good faith and with all sense of rationality is truly a good thing, and an achievement that every leader that has facilitate it should be proud of. However, when you critically examine the manner these new universities were created, one can safely argue that either they were created in bad faith, or they were just created in order to score cheap political points or the Federal Government was ill-advised in creating them. I believe the President decided to create these universities just to score cheap political points especially now that the elections is just around the corner. The fact that these universities are created in bad faith becomes even more glaring when one considers the following facts.

   First, the minister while announcing the appointment of the VCs and Registrars, disclosed that the government allocated the sum of # 1.5 billion to each university for take off. This singular pronouncement underscore the fact that the government is not at all serious about developing education in this country they just created these universities to score cheap political points. I know some people would say, but # 1.5 billion is a huge amount of money. Yes it is indeed! Even I did not appreciate what that amount of money can do or not do in running a federal university until I came to know of some facts that actually exposed this political gimmick by the federal government. Some few days back there was a programme on one of the fm radio stations here in Kano, where the incumbent ASUU chairman Bayero university, Kano branch was discussing the same issue. In that programme he criticized the federal government's decision to create those universities in the first place and also to allocate the sum of # 1.5 billion for each one of them to take off. The chairman gave a staggering insight into what you can do with that amount of money in running a university. There is a "world class" library that was recently built at Bayero university, which according to the chairman cost a whopping #7 billion to construct! I am sure I don't have to say anything further, this  is quite self explanatory. If a single standard library can cost that amount of money, how can this government convince us that it is so serious and desirous of having these universities taken off with the meager amount of just #1.5 billion? These are universities that don't have any facilities that are of a university standard on ground. These are either secondary schools or at best colleges of education converted into these universities. The chairman also revealed further that there are six (6) universities out of the federal universities we have that have been selected by the Education Trust Fund (ETF) to upgrade them to the international standard, and the money that is been allocated to these universities by the ETF for this purpose every year is #3 billion for each one them. The chairman also gave another instance whereby a university in Saudi Arabia was allocated equivalent to #10 trillion to take off. All these instances underline the fact that the Federal government is not so serious at all for establishing these universities and their proper take off.

   Secondly, the minister stated also that the decision of the Federal government to create these universities was informed by the desire to provide access to university education to a larger number of qualified candidates who are annually stranded due to lack of carrying capacity by the existing universities. Some times you can't help but to question the wisdom of those that act as advisers to our leaders at all levels. If a lot of candidates don't get admission into the universities because of these reasons as the honourable minister stated, what is the appropriate thing the government should do in the circumstances? Isn't it much easier for the government to enlarge the capacity of our existing universities? Universities are not suppose to be for just local communities, they are to be for international community. Its not necessary that each and every state must have presence of Federal universities, more so if the government is not desirous or is lacking the will to provide for and maintain those universities. People take their children to foreign countries to study despite the fact that universities exist in their localities. What is more important is for the government to improve in quality the universities in terms of structures, staff and materials, but not to go about creating new universities any how just to score cheap political points.

   It is my considered opinion that unless the government is willing to provide the necessary fund required for these universities to properly take off, it is better that this project be halted by the government   until it is fully equipped and ready to run the universities.