By Khalid Idris Doya The management and alumni of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, have rejected the proposed ...
By Khalid Idris Doya
The management and alumni of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, have rejected the proposed bill sponsored by Senator Shehu Buba Umar to change the university from a specialised institution of technology to a conventional university.
The bill, currently at the public hearing stage in the Nigerian Senate, seeks to expand ATBU's curriculum to include general courses. However, university authorities and stakeholders say they were not consulted before the bill was introduced.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, the Vice-Chancellor of ATBU, Prof. Ibrahim Hassan Garba, emphasised that any amendment to the university's law must originate from within the institution in the first place.
Represented by the Registrar, Kabiru Garba Aminu stated, "The university has not been contacted at any stage. Any process aimed at amending our law must involve our established organs, the Governing Council and the University Senate. These bodies are responsible for overall policy direction and academic oversight, respectively, and both must agree on any amendment."
Prof. Garba added that other critical supervising bodies, including the Ministry of Education and the National Universities Commission, have also not been consulted, saying that they only heard about the bill through media reports and the entire process is fundamentally flawed, and they do not accept it.
The Vice-Chancellor further noted that key stakeholders, including staff unions, students, alumni, and the host community, were entirely excluded from the process. The university has formally written its position in letters to the National Assembly, the Minister of Education, and the NUC and other concerned bodies.
For his part, ATBU National Alumni President, Muhammad Sani Wada, highlighted the historical context of the university's establishment, "ATBU was created by law, following consultations with Bauchi State stakeholders. Any change to its mandate must involve the university," he said.
He stressed that the bill undermines the institution's original focus on technology and industrialisation, especially in Northern Nigeria.
Alumni pointed out the distinction between ATBU and conventional universities, "ATBU awards the Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) degree, which includes a five-year program with a full year of industrial experience. In contrast, conventional universities award B.Sc. Engineering degrees over four years."
“This additional practical exposure gives ATBU graduates a clear advantage in the workforce," Mohammed said. He added that changing the university's mandate would compromise decades of planning, investment, and specialised education, particularly in science and technology.”
Both the university management and alumni have petitioned the National Assembly to halt the bill and ensure that all relevant stakeholders are properly consulted. They reaffirmed their position that ATBU must continue as a specialised University of Technology.
Recalled that the Senator representing Bauchi Bauchi South senatorial district, Distinguished Shehu Buba Umar sponsored the bill to the Nigerian Senate which seeks to change the ATBU status from a specialized institution of technology to a conventional one to accommodate more courses or studies.
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