It Is The Duty Of The State Govt To Fund Our University Not Local Govts

By Umar Akilu Majeri, Dutse

Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State has reiterated his commitment to continue with the funding of Sule Lamido University, Kafin Hausa without recourse to local government funds.

He made this known while speaking to newsmen in his office shortly after visiting places where thousands of people became homeless across the 27 local government areas in the state as a result of floods.

Alhaji Badaru Abubakar pointed out that “the law that necessitates local governments to fund the university is unfair because it is the duty and responsibility of the state to fund the university, while local governments are responsible to take care of primary schools and junior secondary school but not take care of the university.”

The Governor maintained that it is the responsibility of every state government to fully fund its higher institutions and not the local governments.

He noted that the present administration in the state has inherited the law that necessitates local governments to fund the university which is the responsibility of the state government to fund it by itself.

He said it is an unjust law because the local governments are struggling to even pay their salaries, which the state government has added another burden on them.

Badaru further explained that the building of the Sule Lamido University was awarded at the cost of seven billion naira by the previous administration in 2013.

He explained further that the previous administration has only paid three million naira and his administration continues to fund the university and has so far spent over five billion naira to run the university.

The Governor said he personally requested for more funding from the federal government through TETfund for special intervention.

Alhaji Badaru Abubakar added that the federal government has carried out projects in the university worth three billion naira.

In the area of flood, he said the federal government has desilted the super grass in Hadejia valley which greatly reduced the gravity of annual floods in the state.

The governor confirmed that more than 51,000 houses were completely destroyed in the state as a result of heavy down pour and flooding.

Badaru stated that a lot of embankments were done with a view to protecting towns and villages and the Hadejia valley from over flooding.