Senator wants federal university in Ogoniland

The senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has advocated for the establishment of a science and technology-based federal university in Ogoniland.  He said the proposed Centre for Excellence in Ogoniland, as recommended by the report of the United Nations Environment Programmes on Ogoni environment, should be converted […]

The senator representing Rivers South-East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Ngei Abe, has advocated for the establishment of a science and technology-based federal university in Ogoniland.

 He said the proposed Centre for Excellence in Ogoniland, as recommended by the report of the United Nations Environment Programmes on Ogoni environment, should be converted into a university in the long run.

Abe spoke at Bera Community in Gokana Local Government Area of Rivers State, during a meeting between the Senate Committee on Environment and Ogoni religious and political leaders.

The senator called on the Senate Committee on Environment to push for the establishment of the federal university in order to save funds for the country and sustain the dream behind the Centre for Excellence recommended by UNEP.

 He said, “The UNEP report provides for a Centre of Excellence and we have looked at that Centre of Excellence, it is supposed to be a place where the study into the environment, the pursuit of excellence in the environment, will be made, not only for the Ogoni area, but for the entire country.”

While appealing to his colleagues on need to make the centre a university, he said there is no federal university anywhere in this area. 

Responding, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, said the committee will support any bill or motion sponsored by Abe towards establishing a federal university in Ogoniland.