PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has declined to sign the Federal University of Education Numan (Establishment) Bill, 2024, citing concerns over land ownership and its provisions for awarding degrees.
His decision was conveyed in a letter to the House of Representatives, read by the deputy speaker, Benjamin Kalu, on Tuesday, February 4.
The bill, sponsored by Binos Yaroe, a senator representing Adamawa South, was passed by the National Assembly in 2024 and forwarded to the president for approval.
However, Tinubu raised objections to Section 22 of the bill, which he said granted the Adamawa State governor the power to dispose of school’s land.
He argued that federal universities and their assets fell under the jurisdiction of the president, not state governments.
“Pursuant to Section 58(4) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, I hereby convey to the House of Representatives my decision taken on December 23, 2024, to decline presidential assent to the Federal University of Education, Numan Establishment Bill 2024 recently passed by the National Assembly.
“I am declining assent to the bill as Section 22 of the bill confers the authority to the disposal of the land of the university on the governor and not the president as it ought to be in the case of land belonging to the Federal Government,” the letter read in part.
Tinubu further stated that the bill failed to specify the university’s authority to award degrees in Section 25(b).
The rejection came just a day after the president approved the establishment of the Federal University of Environmental Technology in Ogoni, Rivers State.
A statement by the president’s spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, on Monday, February 4, noted that Ogoni town of Tai will host the university.
The statement stated that during the signing ceremony at the State House, in Abuja , Tinubu said the university would further empower Ogoni citizens and provide more opportunities for participation and development.
“It is more than the creation of a university. It is the reaffirmation of our unwavering commitment to the people of Ogoni, the Niger Delta and the entire nation as a whole.
“For decades, the Ogoni people have been at the forefront of the fight for environmental restoration and sustainable development, shaping national and global conversations on these critical issues.
“By signing this bill into law, we are taking a decisive step towards addressing historical grievances and creating new opportunities for learning, growth and prosperity,” the president stated.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M