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By Francis Okoye, Maiduguri
Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum had paid a ‘thank you visit’ to the minister of education, malam Adamu Adamu, following President Muhammadu Buhari’s approval for the establishment of a federal polytechnic in Monguno, the most populated town in northern Borno, where education is backward.
Until Buhari’s approval, Borno had for 45 years, since its creation in 1976, remained one of the few states which neither had a federal polytechnic nor a federal college of education.
The Ramat polytechnic in Maiduguri is owned and funded by the state government while several efforts and appeals by successive administrations in Borno, for the federal government to takeover the Ramat polytechnic were not successful.
Similarly, existing colleges of education in Maiduguri and Biu are owned by the state government even as appeals for establishment of a federal college of education in Borno, also did not materialize.
University of Maiduguri was the only federal tertiary institution sited in Borno by federal administrations. Across Nigeria’s 36 states, majority, have in each of them, at least a federal University, Polytechnic and College of Education. Whereas Borno is 45 years old without these sets of federal institutions, some states created years after Borno, have since combined the three.
Determined to claim Borno’s entitlement, Governor Zulum, a University professor and former rector of Ramat Polytechnic, launched an aggressive lobbying of the federal government towards the establishment of both a federal polytechnic and a federal college of education in Borno state, arguing on basis as of fairness and making reference to the havoc inflicted by Boko Haram on education across the state. Northern Borno in which a federal polytechnic will now be sited, is rated the most educationally backward in Borno State.
Professor Zulum could not hide his joy when he met the minister of education at the federal secretariat in Abuja. The governor eulogized President Buhari for approving the new Polytechnic while he was full gratitude to the minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu for his recommending the approval and for his compassion towards Borno.
The minister informed Governor Zulum that in addition to the federal polytechnic, Borno was soon to have a federal college of education like it is across most of the 36 states.
Zulum was accompanied to the minister’s office by the chief whip of the House of Representatives who is representing Monguno, Matte, and Nganzai Federal Constituency of Borno state, Barr .Mohammed Tahir Monguno, the governor’s chief of staff, Professor Isa Hussaini Marte, and some commissioners.
