Senate Passes Bills Clarifying Locations Of Abia Federal Varsity, College

The Senate on Tuesday passed two amendment bills seeking to clarify the host communities of the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and the Federal College of Education in Bende, Abia State. The move aims to prevent potential communal disputes over the institutions’ locations.

Under the amendments, the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences will be based in Bende town, while the Federal College of Education will be located in Item Bende.

The bills, sent by the House of Representatives for concurrence, seek to amend the institutions’ establishment laws to remove ambiguity over their locations and host communities.

They are the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2775), and the Federal College of Education, Bende (Establishment) Act (Amendment) Bill, 2026 (HB.2776).

Leading the debate, Senate Chief Whip Senator Mohammed Monguno, who represents Borno North, said the amendments were needed to clearly define the institutions’ locations and host communities.

“While the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences would be based in Bende town, the Federal College of Education would be located in Item Bende.

“The bills had already passed the necessary legislative stages in the House of Representatives and were before the Senate for concurrence,” he said.

Monguno urged his colleagues to support the bills, saying the clarification would give each institution a clearly defined host community.

The bills passed their second reading before being referred to the Committee of the Whole for clause-by-clause consideration. The Senate then adopted both bills and passed them at third reading.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio described the amendments as minor but important legal corrections that could prevent misunderstandings and communal disputes between the affected communities.

He commended the House of Representatives for recognising the need to resolve the ambiguity over the institutions’ host communities.

Akpabio said he hoped presidential assent to the amended laws would remove potential sources of friction and promote peaceful coexistence.

“I congratulate the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Okezie Kalu, for sponsoring the legislative initiative,” he said.

The Senate President also praised both chambers of the National Assembly for addressing what he described as a seemingly minor issue with significant implications for peaceful relations between the communities.

Both institutions are in Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State. The amendments seek to clearly distinguish their respective host communities.

Following the Senate’s passage of the bills, the proposed amendments will be sent to President Bola Tinubu for assent.