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Senate okays tertiary health institutions for Ekiti, Nasarawa

By Adamu Abuh (Abuja) and Dahiru Suleiman (Dutse)
16 September 2021   |   3:00 am
For the wellbeing of the citizenry, the Senate has endorsed the establishment of two federal health universities in Ekiti and Nasarawa states.

Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central)

FG team inspects Jigawa tech varsity sites

For the wellbeing of the citizenry, the Senate has endorsed the establishment of two federal health universities in Ekiti and Nasarawa states.

The bills to achieve the goal sailed third reading yesterday at plenary presided over by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

The pieces of legislation, separately sponsored by Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central) and Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South), are the Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin, Ekiti State (Establishment) Bill, 2021 and the Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital (Establishment) Bill, 2021.

Their passage followed the presentation and consideration of two distinct reports by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).

The committee chairman, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), said the proposed Nasarawa medical facility was “necessitated by the precarious health conditions faced by residents.”

The Ekiti’s, he noted, seeks to promote and emphasise teaching, research, and extension of knowledge in the field of medicine and environmental sciences.

The upper legislative chamber also sanctioned the third reading of the bill to amend the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards) Act.

Oloriegbe explained that the bill moves to amend the First Schedule to the Principal Act to include the University Teaching Hospital, Lafia and Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital.

Another bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Education, Kaiama, Kwara State also scaled second reading.

It was sponsored by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara North).

The Senate President thereafter referred the bill to the Senator Ahmad Baba-led Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND and was directed to report back in four weeks.

SIMILARLY, a delegation from the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission (NUC) has paid an assessment visit to two sites in Babura ahead of the establishment of the Federal University of Science and Technology, Babura in Jigawa State.

The ministry had on July 2, 2021, transmitted a letter to Governor Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, conveying President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval of the tertiary institution.

The first proposed site, virgin land, was located along Kano-Babura road, while the second is the Jigawa State College of Remedial and Advanced Studies, being contemplated for conversion.

During the visitation, the governor was accompanied by relevant stakeholders, including the Commissioners for Education and Land, Dr. Lawan Yunusa Danzomo, Sagir Musa, and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Salisu Muazu Babura.

It is believed that the Federal Government will announce the chosen location soon.

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