Kano College of Education staff poised for battle with Buhari

Kano College of Education staff poised for battle with Buhari

Irked by the rumour making round that Nigeria's SolAd, General Muhammadu Buhari’s administration may revert the newly upgraded Federal College of Education (FCE) from its new university status, the Academic Staff Union of the newly upgraded FCE, Kano, on Monday staged a protest against the speculated move to revert the university.

This was just as Senator Kabir Gaya, who is representing the state in the upper chamber vowed any attempt to revert the institution by the Buhari-led government would be resisted.

According to various placards carried by the staff of the FCE with various inscriptions such as:

 “Haba Buhari, this is not the change we voted for”,

“Baba keep our universities alive” and

“Mr President let the Universities remain” among others.

The newly upgraded federal colleges of education to the university include Kano, Zaria, Ondo and Owerri.

The newly  universities staffs alleged that some of the provosts of the defunct colleges of education were misinforming the presidency to revert the universities, citing a mere implication of financing new universities, just because of their selfish interest to maintain their positions.

However, while addressing pressmen before the union’s congress, Chairman of the Coalition of Staff union of the new university, Dr Abubakar Sadiq, explained that the move against the development was emanating from the old College of Education Zaria.

He disclosed that some set of individuals were asking the Emirate council to against the move with a claim that it might become a mirage to get a new college of education in Zaria if the present one is finally converted.

Dr.Sadiq noted that considering the huge benefits of the universities after running an affiliated degree programs for over40 years, the coalition unions have been engaging the emirate councils, the governors and the national assembly to ensure that the federal government gives its full support for the universities.

However, in his swift reaction, a senator representing Kano South, Senator Kabiru Gaya has vowed that the national Assembly would resist any move by the federal government to revert the upgrading of the Universities of education as speculated.

Senator Gaya, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune on the telephone said he was aware of the speculations and he had already contacted the permanent secretary of the federal ministry of education, who promised that the situation would be resolved amicably.

The lawmaker argued that Kano State is one of the States in the North-West who do not have a federal government polytechnic, saying any move to revert the new university in the State will be a total sabotage to educational development in the State.

-Sahel Standard