he House of Representatives Committee on University Education has expressed concern over dilapidated infrastructure and land encroachment across universities in the South-East.
The Chairman of the committee, Rep Abubakar Fulata, expressed the concern in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, following an oversight visit to federal universities in the South-East region.
Fulata appealed to universities to make concerted efforts toward renovating and maintaining the structures on ground, instead of building new ones.
He said that most of the universities his committee visited did not comply with the federal character principles.
He said they did not respect Federal Character principles.
According to him, this is considered as gross violation of the Constitution
“The fact that a university is located in a certain location in the state does not mean certain ethnic group or people from that location should dominate it. ,” he said.
Fulata frowned at the inconsistencies and discrepancies observed in the documents submitted by some of the universities.
He also queried the non-compliance to the principles of federal character principles noticed in their staff nominal roll.
The chairman, therefore, tasked the management of the universities to make necessary amendment.
Some of the universities visited by the committee included the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Nnamdi Azikwe University Awka, and Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo
Others are Federal University of Allied Health Science and Umahi Federal University of Health Science Uburu, Ebonyi State, among others. (NAN)