RE: THE BILL FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MODIBBO ADAMA UNIVERSITY AND THE CONVERSION OF FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY, YOLA TO A CONVENTIONAL UNIVERSITY.
The President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Senate President,
National Assembly,
Federal Republic of Nigeria
The Speaker & Members of
House of Representatives,
National Assembly,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The Chairman,
House Committee on Tertiary Institutions & TETFUNDS,
National Assembly.
Heads of Foreign and diplomatic Missions
in Nigeria.
His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Adamawa
State, Rt. Hon. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
The Inspector General of Police,
Federal Republic of Nigeria.
All International & Local Media.
Sir(s),
Harmonized position of indigenous ethnic nationalities of Adamawa State on the Bill for the Establishment of Modibbo Adamawa University of Technology, Yola and its conversion to a Conventional University:
From the moment we learnt that a group of stakeholders from Adamawa were in Abuja to pay His Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria a thank you visit and the request by the same group to convert the only existing Technology based Institution in the North-East sub-region, the Federal University of Technology (FUTY) to a Conventional University, we knew that something is in the offing to threaten the existing unity and peaceful co-existence of our people.
Our thoughts and expectations were made manifest when we saw the distinguished Senator Representing the Adamawa Central Senatorial Zone on the floor of the House on our Television screens presenting the proposed Bill for the establishment of Modibbo Adama University and the conversion of our most cherished and only Technology based University in the North-East sub-region, initially conceived to serve as the cradle for excellence and Technological development of the region to a conventional University.
The first thing that came to mind was where did the Senator(s) get the mandate of the people of the State including the sub-region who are major stakeholders and beneficiaries of the Technological institution to present such a retrogressive and Anti-development Bill. We are worried because at this global technological age where nations are craving and competing for supremacy in Technology and Scientific development, our Distinguished Senator(s) are busy promoting sectional interest at the expense of National development.
More disturbing is that Senator Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru (Binani) who enjoys the support of her constituents and the people of the State is still towing the path of history of her ancestors to promote internal colonization and ethnic supremacy of a minute tribe that constitutes less than three percent of the total population of a State made up of over eighty (85) indigenous ethnic Nationalities. Surprisingly, the ethnic group the Senator represents has no single indigenous local government of its own in Adamawa State.
We cannot forget too easily the fraudulent manipulations that gave birth to the illegal change of the name of the Federal University of Technology Yola (FUTY) to Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Gongola State to Adamawa State, Light House Federal Radio Corporation to Fombina Radio Station and now the attempt institutionalization of the name Modibbo Adama University, Yola and the conversion of FUTY in a bid to promote ethnic supremacy and ethnic Agenda. The Modibbo Adama which the Senator and her ethnic group seeks to promote had no significance to the over eighty (85)
indigenous Ethnic Nationalities in Adamawa State. Modibbo Adama by history was a jihadist who traumatized ONLY a small portion of the State. Before his arrival in the State 1804 there were already organized traditional systems with Kings and Kingdoms of various indigenous ethnic nationalities on ground. He never founded Adamawa State and Adamawa was never a conquered territory of Modibbo Adama. How does the personality of Modibbo Adama translate into the symbol of Unity, identity and future of the people of Adamawa State? The name Modibbo Adama only symbolizes jihad, conquest and nothing but pains and hatred among the majority of the people of the State and that is why the people will not accept the change of the name of FUTY to Modibbo Adama more so when it is fraudently done to institutionalize the name, Modibbo Adamawa through the conversion of our only technology based university in the sub-region inspite of an existing conventional university in the State located in Mubi and other nearby States.
From the surface, the move to establish a conventional university is quite appealing but beneath it lies, mischief, falsehood, subtle colonization and apparent and deliberate plot to promote an ethnic Agenda.
Historical evidences have proved that the proponents of this conversion which Senator Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru (Binani) represents have frustrated an earlier attempt to establish Gongola State University, the citing of the current Federal University of Technology in Mubi to replace the former College of Science and Technology and exhibited glaring apathy towards the citing and existence of the State Conventional university in Mubi known as the Adamawa State University (ADSU), Mubi.
We are equally worried over the manner the Senate committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND conducted the public hearing on this matter held on December 5, 2019 by allocating enough time to the five speakers who are in favour of the Proposed Bill and according only three minutes each to the five out of the fourteen speakers opposed to the Bill while refusing to hear from the remaining ten speakers, a situation which almost caused an uproar at the venue of the public hearing and questions the credibility of the committee. We therefore reject in totality the outcome of the public hearing based on the realities on ground because it fell short of the principles of social justice and procedures of the Senate. The Committee for reasons best known to it refused to hear the positions of other presenters opposed to the Bill and gave two more weeks for the consideration of the positions of the majority speakers, a promise they failed to keep. Before the expiration of two weeks the committee went ahead to complete its assignment without giving fair hearing the other presenters. The action of the House commitee was not only deceptive, manipulative and repressive but an apparent case of legislative fraud and rape on the psyche of Nigerians particularly the majority of Adamawa population. The passage of the Bill by the Senate has the tendency to throw Adamawa in a state of anarchy and security breach. The House committee should have thought of these implications.
However, we are totally opposed to both the Conversion of the Federal University of Technology to a Conventional University and the illegal use of the name Modibbo Adama for the following reasons:
The Federal University of Technology, Yola is one of the five Technology based Universities established by the Federal Government and the only existing Technology based institution in the entire North sub-region. We cannot afford to throw away this rare opportunity especially when the world is moving towards Technological development.
The establishment of another Conventional University beside the existing ADSU Conventional University is a deliberate act to cripple and pave an express way for the total collapse and death of the Adamawa State University which has been the ultimate desire of the proponents and advocates of the additional Conventional University.
The action is retrogressive and does not intend to satisfy the development interests of the State but a selfish few who want to create fortunes through the introduction of several Management courses earlier banned in FUTY as a matter of policy by the Federal Government to create an atmosphere for technological development.
Having stated the above, we wish to observe, state and recommend the following:
Senator Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru (Binani) for whatever reason had not secured our mandate to present such a retrogressive Bill that will not only have negative impact on her constituents but the State and the entire North-East sub-region who are major stakeholders in this matter. She has ultimately failed to respect the principles of civilized democracy by ignoring the feelings and future of other interested parties in this matter. She was voted for overwhelming by the majority of the indigenous ethnic nationalities of the Central Senatorial Zone the state to represent them and not to represent the interest of an insignificant minute ethnic group that constitute less than three percent of the Adamawa population.
We are totally opposed to the conversion of FUTY to Modibbo Adama University and the current illegal and fraudulent use of the name Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) instead of FUTY which is the legitimate identity of the institution, since there was no legislation by the National Assembly to change the name of FUTY. We therefore call for the immediate withdrawal of MAUTECH from all the records of the institution because of its far reaching implications.
The Federal University of Technology, Yola is the only University of Technology in the entire North-East sub region and its conversion is not only retrogressive but will deny the State and the region the opportunity to excel and advance technologically like other parts of the world.
The intended conversion and the change of name of the University to Modibbo Adamawa do not reflect the popular wishes of the people of the State that Senator Binani claims to represent. We therefore call for the immediate withdrawal of the Bill and its rejection by the National House of Assembly in the interest of peace and development.
The existing conventional University (ADSU) in the State and its environs are enough to provide the needed services. Existing circumstances have not left us in doubt of the intentions of the advocates of the conversion and their deliberate intent to kill the existing Conventional University cited in Mubi in Adamawa.
Based on the realities on ground since the introduction of the retrogressive Bill by Senator Binani, it is becoming evident that we cannot guarantee peace and security in Adamawa State if the National Assembly and Senator Binani choose to sail through with the obnoxious Bill.
We are confident that the National Assembly as custodians of democracy will respect the position of the majority which is one of the fundamental ingredients of Democracy by throwing out the Bill and to retain the name Federal University of Technology, Yola against the much canvassed Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH) by a single tribe. Modibbo Adama by any standard does not represent the beliefs, unity, identity and future of a heterogeneous community like Adamawa.
We may also be compelled as constituent members to initiate a process for the recall of Senator Binani for initiating such a Bill that has devastating consequences on the unity, peace, development and progress of the State without making due consultations and showing some respect to the principles of social justice and civilized democracy. We wish to appeal to her in her own interest and political future withdraw the mischievous Bill that seeks to create dissensions, hatred and promote a minute ethnic Agenda among the people of the State.
However, there is nothing wrong with the establishment of a conventional University beside the existing Federal University of Technology, Yola as long as the identity of the institution does not reflect the name Modibbo Adama. We have an instance recently where the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria laid a foundation of a University of Transport in Katsina in addition to the existing Federal University of Technology in the state.
In the interest of national peace and civilized democracy, we call on members of the House of Representatives, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the international community, Civil Society Organisations, Nigerians and the lovers of democracy and peace to stop any further progress of this unpopular, retrogressive and obnoxious bill because it does not represent the interests of the majority of the Adamawa people.
In the event of any breach of peace and security in Adamawa State, the House Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND should be held responsible for its role and poor handling of the legislative process of the Bill before its passage.
Signed :
1. Nzanyi Language Development Association :
Rev Ishaku Pwapo Ezekiel Shehu Yohana
Chairman Secretary.
2. Higgi / Kamue Cultural Development Association.
Barr. Daniel Amos
Chairman.
3. Gongola Peace Initiative (GPI).
Denis Chinda. M. S. Sidney
Chairman. Secretary.
4. Margi Cultural Development Association
Joseph Wajilda. James Wanfari
Chairman. Secretary.
5. Pene da Bwatiye
Hezron Fada. Job Sama.
Chairman. Secretary.
6. Chamba Cultural Development Association.
Polycarp Kaigama. Prince Salihu Wobkenso
Chairman. Secretary.
7. Mbula Development Association.
Boniface Zebulun. Pagiel Loh.
Chairman. Ag Secretary
8. Yandang Nation.
C.D. Nyari.
Secretary General
10. Numan Federation Foundation
Maliki Daniel. Prince Medan Fwah (mni)
Chairman. Secretary General.
11. Ngwaba Development Association.
Ibrahim Yakubu
Chairman.
12. Hona Fiter Ishama.
Daniel Abba.
Chairman
13. Hoba Cultural Development Association.
Robert Na’adeti.
Chairman.
14. Adamawa Elders Forum.
Ambassador Wilberforce Juta. Polycarp S. P. Kaigama.
Chairman. Secretary.
15. Garkida Development Association
Dr Sani Shallangwa. Danjuma Mshelia.
Chairman. Secretary.
16. Gaanda Namarta.
Bulus U. Sabici. Prof David Jatau.
Chairman. Secretary.
17. Ngwaba Development Association
Ibrahim Yuguda.
Chairman
18. Waga Development Association.
Yusuf Kwache
Chairman
19. Chobbo Development Association.
Ronald Ajika
Chairman.
20. Kabinda Development Forum
Peter Luka
Chairman
21. Mboi Development Association.
Ezekiel Gumya
Chairman
22. Verre Development Association.
Solomon Simon
Chairman
23. Laka Development Association.
Joshua T. Napa.
Chairman .
24. Longuda Development Association.
Girgir Yohana.
Chairman.
25. Lala Development Association.
Haruna Done
Chairman.
26. Kanakuru Development Association.
Sule Wisdom.
Chairman.
27. Christian Liberty Organisation.
Mahle Daniel.
Chairman.
