By Segun Adewale, Bauchi
The former Chairman of the Bauci State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Barrister Jibrin Said Jibrin has appealed to members of the political class in the state irrespective of political affiliations, traditional institution, academia and other stakeholders to rise in solidarity with authorities concerned towards the success of the move to convert Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), to a conventional institution.
The legal practitioner expressed support for the conversion of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi to a conventional University, on Monday while addressing journalists on the ongoing debate over a bill sponsored by Senator Shehu Buba Umar (Bauchi South) in the 10th Senate.
The bill seeks to amend the ATBU establishment law to transform the institution into a full conventional university with broader academic offerings.
The ex-NBA Chairman said that converting the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) from a specialised university of technology into a conventional institution will correct long-standing education inequities and align Bauchi State with the country’s higher-education structure.
Jibrin explained that Bauchi state, despite being the most populous in the North-East geopolitical zone, remained the only state without a conventional Federal University, highlighting some of the benefits the conversion of the University could bring to the state,
According to him, “By expanding ATBU’s mandate to include a full range of disciplines like Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Education, Arts, and Humanities, the University will become a major national training ground for the next generation of professionals across all sectors of national life.”
He stressed that, “Transforming ATBU into a conventional university will ensure fair distribution of educational opportunities and bring Bauchi State into alignment with the national educational framework.”
The Legal Practitioner added that, “A conventional university serves as an anchor institution for regional development and expanding ATBU will attract a greater number of academic and non-academic staff, generating employment.
“It will also stimulate the local economy through housing, commerce and services, encourage public-private partnerships in research, innovation, and community development as well as reduce the educational migration of students to distant states, thereby saving families and governments significant costs”.
According to him, empirical evidence from institutions like the University of Maiduguri and Federal University, Lafia showed that University diversification significantly boosts small-scale enterprises, healthcare services, and real estate development in their host communities.
Jibrin further stated that it was the view of many people that, by converting ATBU to a conventional University, opportunities and means of promoting the already attained legacy of innovation would not only be sustained but also be improved upon.
He stressed that, “This is because it is a statement of fact that in the whole of Northern Nigeria, the leading Universities in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics otherwise known as STEM consist of both conventional and specialized universities.”
It could be recalled that Shehu Buba, Senator representing Bauchi South Senatorial District sponsored a bill seeking to alter ATBU’s status and in October, the Senate passed the the bill for a second reading to amend the ATBU Act by removing technology from the institution’s name and convert it into a conventional University.
However, the management of the university alongside the institution’s alumni association and staff unions, dissociated themselves from the move at the Senate to convert the university from a technology-based institution to a conventional university.
They argued that the management was neither consulted nor informed at any stage of the legislative process adding that the development came to the university as a shock.
