₦airaland Forum

THE STUDENTS OF THE FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE, MAKURDI (FUAM) PROTESTS AGAINST THE REMOVAL OF THE COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT SCIENCES AND OTHER NON AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMMES FROM HER UNIVERSITY.

Scores of Students of the Federal Universities of Agriculture, Makurdi were out today, 07.04.2017 to register their position regarding the implementation of an education policy of the Federal government of Nigeria, which was proposed in December, last year.

This policy from information gathered is geared towards withdrawing the three (3) Universities of Agriculture in Nigeria from the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education and returning their supervisory roles to the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, in a bid to make them more effective in teaching and research for Agricultural development.

The Students of the College of Management Sciences, FUAM in Unison with the rest of the University Students Community, are of the view that the call for the removal of some academic programs of the special universities (Universities of Agriculture) in a move to implement this policy, is untimely and would not serve the interest of the Nigerian student nor the Nation in the long run; it is counter-productive and would bring untold hardship on the varying groups this programs administers.

Students were seen carrying Placards with various inscriptions (Management Refines Agriculture, Management can co-exist with Agriculture, Nigerians have a right to study Management even in an Agricultural University, Soil Science says No to the removal of Management amongst others) to send clear messages of the unpopular status of this policy statement to the student community within FUAM.

The Vice chancellor of the University, Engr. Prof. E.I Kucha led a delegation consisting of the Dean of the College of Management Science, Heads of Departments and staff to the University Main Gate, where the protest was taking place to address the students, assuring them that their disposition would be translated to the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari.
They commended the spirit of genuine patriotism the Nigerian students had shown towards National issues in the past and urged them to be guided by the law as they remain hopeful for a review of the policy.

interactions students Union leaders, other students groups and the general public confirmed, that they were all hopeful that the peaceful protest witnessed today would inspire a rethink by all stakeholders involved and the Federal government would reconsider her earlier decision, which has denied over nine thousand (9,000) applicants an opportunity of a University education in Management Sciences and other related programs in Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Umudike or Abeokuta.

The Students of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi have made their voices heard, now, they await a positive response from the Ministry of Agriculture and Education to affirm what would be the future of the aforementioned academic programs in Federal Universities of Agriculture.