By Tayo Alabi
The Obaro of Kabba, Oba Solomon Dele Owoniyi on Monday bemoaned the absence of a federal University in his area.
Specifically, the paramount king of Okun land in Kogi state noted that as at today, ‘I’m the only Royal father in Kogi west without a university’.
The Obaro of Kabba spoke at the public hearing on a bill to upgrade the College of Agriculture Kabba, an affiliate of Ahmadu Bello University to a full fledged University held in Abuja.
Recall, the college was established in 1964 by the late Sardauna of Sokoto, Sir Ahmadu Bello, former premier of the Northern region.
The bill is titled: An Act to establish federal University of Agriculture, Kabba to make comprehensive provisions for its due management and administration and other matters connected therewith and sponsored by Senator Smart Adeyemi (Kogi west).
The monarch urged the authorities of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria to release the management of the college, which according to him, is now being under utilized to develop to full University, and to be domicile in Kabba.
Oba Owoniyi appealed to the Senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND, under the chairmanship of Senator Ahmad Baba Kaita to support the request of the Okun people of Kogi west senatorial zone.
“Give us a university and call it whatever name.
“Other colleges under the Ahmadu Bello University have since been upgraded, why not Kabba” he asked?
Earlier, the President General of Okun Development Association, Mr. Femi Mokikan justified why the college should be upgraded to a university.
“All the infrastructure for the smooth take off of the university are already in Kabba, the location of Kabba will support the proposed university” he said.
Other stakeholders who spoke at the public hearing also supported the bill for an Act to upgrade the College of Agriculture Kabba to full fledged University.
