The Senate on Tuesday passed a bill to give legal
backing to the establishment of the Nigerian Army University, Biu, Borno
State.
The passage of the bill followed a clause-by-clause
consideration of the report of the Committee on Nigerian Army.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ali Ndume (APC –
Borno South) said the Committee, while undertaking legislative work on the
bill, took into consideration “areas that are in conflict with other extant
laws, those that have security implication and those that are ambiguous.”
According to the lawmaker, the University with the
passage of the bill into law, “would promote research and other means of
advancement of knowledge and its application to military hardware and software,
social, cultural, economical, scientific, and technological situations.”
He stated that the Institution would cater for the
development of middle and high-level manpower in the area of technological
empowerment for civilians, appreciation of military policies, logistic and
strategies.
Meanwhile, the Senate also on Tuesday moved to address
the issue of our-of-school children by calling on the Federal Ministry of
Education to intensify its sensitization and advocacy programmes; and
engagement of traditional and religious scholars on the plight of Almajiris,
and the need to enroll them into the universal basic education system.
The call was contained in the recommendations of the
report of the Senate Committee on Education (Basic and Secondary) on the need
to integrate Almajiri Education morning not the Modern System of Education in
Nigeria.
Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Akon Eyakenyi
(PDP – Akwa-Ibom South), in her presentation observed that “the Almajiris, who
are predominant in the North, constitute the larger number of out of school
children roaming the streets begging for alms and food in Nigeria, and
therefore are covered by the intervention policy and programmes of the Federal
Government through the Universal Basic Education Act, 2004.”
According to the lawmaker, “the implementation of the
UBEC Act, 2004 requires maximum collaborations with the State Governments and
indeed the domestication of the Act through the State Legislatures.”
She noted that Nigeria had obtained $611 million
dollars from the World Bank Financed Programme – Better Education Service
Delivery for All (BESDA), as a credit to specifically address the problem of
Out of School Children.
The lawmaker, however, stressed that “optimal operation
and implementation of the BESDA Programme as being anchored and implemented by
UBEC in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education and participation
of key Education Agencies, require improved Federal-State-Local level Communication,
coordination and collaboration to succeed.”
The Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of
Barrister Idahagbon Omoregie as a Commissioner representing Edo, Ekiti and Ondo
states in the Federal Civil Service Commission.
Also confirmed was the re-appointment of Engr. Umaru
Danbatta as Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The confirmation of both nominees followed the
consideration of the reports of the Senate Committees on Communications; and
Establishment and Public Service.
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