Senate passes 6 federal institutions’ establishment bills

The Senate on Wednesday passed six bills seeking the establishment of same number of federal tertiary educational institutions in different parts of the country.

The proposed institutions are four polytechnics, one college of education and one university of technology.

The polytechnics are to be located in Mpu, Enugu State; Kwale in Delta, Kaltungo in Gombe State and Adikpo in Benue.

On its part, the university known as City University of Technology would be hosted by Auchi in Edo, while the College of Education is be sited in Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti.

The passage of the bills at plenary followed the consideration of the reports of the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND presented by its Chairman, Sen. Jibrin Barau.

In his presentation, Barau said the country was far short of the number of tertiary institutions it needed to meet its educational goals and aspirations.

“In fact, we have not attained 20 per cent of our requirements, so these institutions need to be established.

“We are talking about getting our country developed and industrialised, goals that cannot be realised without having federal polytechnics and universities to train our youths to have the necessary manpower to drive the process.”

After presentation of the reports, the senators dissolved into a committee of the whole and considered the bills clause by clause before they were read for the third time and passed.

The Deputy President of the Senate, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu, who presided the Wednesday’s plenary, commended Baru and other members of the committee for their efforts.

Ekweremadu said he hoped the institutions, when established would expand educational opportunities for the nation’s youth, who were eager to receive higher education.

“I pray that the government takes steps to ensure these schools are established as soon as possible, and the necessary infrastructure provided for their early take-off,” he said.