The Nigerian Senate has begun a debate to correct certain issues surrounding the David Umahi Federal University of Medical Sciences in Uburu, Ebonyi State. Umahi when he was governor approached the Ebonyi State House of Assembly to approve an executive bill to take a part of the Ebonyi State University to Uburu. The House being what it was — House of Puppets approved it. Only Hon. Engr Chris Usulo and Hon. Victor Aleke opposed it. They were punished for the opposition, but they wrote their names in gold.
Umahi against the original plan started building a full-blown university instead of a school of Medical Sciences. He built it to full-bloom with the Ebonyi people’s money. He named it after himself. Later when he realized that he might not manage it well, did what he did and it was named a federal university with his name. Federal Government hasn’t reimbursed Ebonyi State the cost of building that classy institution.
Yesterday, the Senate raised a discussion about the university. Senate argued that it’s wrong to name a federal university after a serving Minister who’s still alive. The President of the Senate, Sen. Godswill Akpabio said that there’s no record of National Assembly debating or approving the construction and naming of the university to anyone. He said that it should not bear the name of a living citizen as that’s against the convention of naming a government institution, citing other institutions of learning named after dead figures and as such, the one of David Umahi wouldn’t be a different case. The Senate deferred the debate on it to a later date.
Gradually, the things done wrong in the past will be corrected with time. It’s wrong to name a federal university after a serving Minister all himself. Bola Tinubu has been a Senator, Minister and now President and no federal institution has been named after him. Godswill Akpabio has been a governor, minister and now Senate President without any institution of higher education named after him. Shetima has been a governor, senator and now minister without any federal institution named after him. It’s David Umahi that should be named after a federal university? If he wants to be named after a federal university, he should di-e! Once he commits suic-ide and end it all, we can now think about advocating for him to be named after a federal university.
First, National Assembly didn’t approve a more establishment of a federal university in Ebonyi. Ebonyi State House of Assembly should probe the establishment of that university. That’s if indeed it’s a House of Assembly. There are many things Umahi deliberately did wrong which must be corrected. He ran Ebonyi like a personal estate. Finally, the university will be renamed. A governor is not a national figure. He’s a figure only in his state. Umahi is still a state figure. He has not done anything remarkable for Nigeria. Being a minister is not enough. Others are also former governors and now ministers. Gradually, the impunity of Umahi shall be reviewed.
Nwoba Chika Nwoba wrote. 