Just of recent, I saw, in one of the national dailies, the photograph of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Tukur Buratai, along with his team mates in Aso Rock, Abuja, in readiness for presentation to the Federal Executive Council, a proposal for the establishment of a military University in Biu, Borno State. In the photograph too was the Minister for Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, who, no doubt, would present the message of the Military to the Council, since the issue involved concerned education that falls within the purview of the Ministry.
Needless to say, the proposed military university is fait accompli. As from its conception to the present status, the nod has been given, especially by the Borno State Government headed by Governor Kashim Shettima who would as an academician never allow such opportunity to slip off his domain. Besides, the mastermind of this noble project hails from Borno State and an honour of this nature from the ‘son of the soil’ must be reciprocated in all ways positive and possible. This is not to say that General Buratai is bias or partial in ensuring that this institution is sited in Biu, some kilometres away from his village named Buratai. No, I disagree on this assumption for the following reasons.
For some time now, UNIMAID has been beset with security challenges emanating from Boko Haram’s ceaseless attacks and suicide bombings. Such attacks have resulted in deaths, blood, sorrow and wanton destruction of property. Among the victims are a University professor, some security personnel and the bombers themselves
First, let us look at the essence of the message and not the messenger. Secondly, this is a proposal long overdue, having remained a paperwork until now that it got breath and light. Secondly, Biu has a favorable climate, compared to Jos and similar related areas conducive to learning. Thirdly, the military university would be the only known military institution to be located in the Northeast. This is a striking contrast to Kaduna State that has several military establishments as well other parts of the country that can boast of same.
So when Governor Shettima, some time back, graciously gave a sizeable portion of land with a matching Certificate of Occupancy, it was a done deal. Therefore, the recent presentation of the project plan to the Federal Executive Council for attention or approval in all its ramifications is a formality, as the deed is already a determined and finished business or action. Welcome to Biu, the town that houses, among others, the military university. The good news emanating from military sources is that, the university will extend its admission to other Nigerians.
The speed and efforts to make the military university a reality are commendable. However, there is a question that continues to rattle sane minds on the predicament of the University of Maiduguri, that has provoked discourse. For some time now, UNIMAID has been beset with security challenges emanating from Boko Haram’s ceaseless attacks and suicide bombings. Such attacks have resulted in deaths, blood, sorrow and wanton destruction of property. Among the victims are a University professor, some security personnel and the bombers themselves.
The institution has been at the mercy of these undesirable elements and bandits who occasionally, wreck some havoc on the community. The latest baptism of fire and violence by the terrorists on the people is a clear manifestation that UNIMAID has become an enticing apple to the insurgents who want its taste at all costs.
The inevitable question that would readily come to mind is: what has the university been doing to tame these security challenges? The institution’s management has not been aloof. It has evolved various measures within its limited resources to contain this evil, but this is merely a drop of water in the ocean. The magnitude of the problem is beyond the capacity and capability of the financial muscle of the university. For example, the perimeter fence designed to cover the entire areas of the institutions is estimated to cost N2.6bn.
Besides, Governor Shettima’s administration has been assisting in various ways to ameliorate the situation. For example, the state government gave N50 million to the university to help in the digging of trenches round the campus, while it at the same time rebuilt the mosque destroyed by terrorists, at the university.
Following the sporadic gun attacks and suicide bombing of the institution, especially in 2017, the Minister of Education and his team visited the institution to assess the situation. Feelers from the meeting of the management of UNIMAID and the minister’s team revealed a conflict of interests. While it was alleged that the minister wanted a temporary closure of the institution due to the intense security challenges, the management is said to object strongly to this. At the end of the meeting, it was agreed that something would be done quickly to savage the institution from the clutches of the insurgents. Besides, the National Assembly has called on the Federal Government, in a motion, to act quickly in intervening in the security problem posed to UNIMAID. Similar voices echoed in like manner, from other sources.
However, more than two years after the visit of the minister, UNIMAID is still unprotected and at the mercy of insurgents. Though military presence is felt on the campus but it is limited to an area. The safety of lives of staff and students is not guaranteed, as they are at the mercy and whims and caprices of the insurgents. This compelled the questions: who wants UNIMAID dead? Why treating UNIMAID as an orphan, compared to the proposed military university yet to take off but given accelerated consideration or attention? On this, an observer noted, “Let it be made abundantly clear that if, owing to negligence, default, an error of omission or commission, the sect is allowed to invade or take over an inch of UNIMAID territory, this is not only the height of impunity, but a dangerous aspersion on the legitimacy of the Federal Government of Nigeria to protect its citizens”.
This is the mood or thinking of the public when of recent, the news came that the Federal Executive Council has approved the sum of N2.6 billion Perimeter Fence for Unimaid. Senator Babakaka Bashir Garbai, the Chairman of Senate committee on Rules and Ethics announced this in Maiduguri. Senator Babakaka Bashir of Borno Central Senatorial Zone is one of the senators in the forefront of making the perimeter fence of the UNIMAID a reality.
With this cheering news, what will be the next step? Will approval be made a reality through immediate implementation of the project? Will this project be allowed to suffer in the name of bureaucracy or on the altar of ‘no fund backing’? Any further delay in the outright execution of this project is compromising the lives of staff members and students of UNIMAIDS, yielding them to the swords of the terrorists.
No one will take any excuse for this.
*Izekor, a journalist and public affairs analyst, is Member, Board of Advisers of The Point.
