Why Funtua deserves a federal university
On hearing this, the people of Funtua senatorial district thought that Katsina State government will be just by siting the university in their area. Unfortunately, the government went ahead to site the university along Batsari Road in Katsina despite the number of both federal and state owned tertiary institutions located at Katsina senatorial district. Going […]
On hearing this, the people of Funtua senatorial district thought that Katsina State government will be just by siting the university in their area. Unfortunately, the government went ahead to site the university along Batsari Road in Katsina despite the number of both federal and state owned tertiary institutions located at Katsina senatorial district.
Going by the statistics of both federal and state owned tertiary institutions across the three (3) senatorial districts; in Daura senatorial district there are three (3) tertiary institutions as follows: Yusuf Bala Usman College of Legal and General Studies, School of Health Technology both located at Daura Local Government and School of Health Technology in Kankia Local Government. While in Katsina Senatorial zone there are seven (7) tertiary institutions. These are: National Open University of Nigeria in Katsina, Umaru Musa Yar’adua University Katsina, Katsina University, Katsina (Islamic University), Hassan Usman Polytechnic Katsina, Federal College of Education Katsina, School of Nursing Katsina and Isa Kaita College of Education Dutsinma. And upon all these injustices the state government wants to site the federal university awarded to the state in Katsina! What a discrimination! In Funtua Senatorial District there are School of Midwifery in Malumfashi, which awards a certificate in midwifery only, College of Administration Funtua which awards junior cadre certificate in administration and School of Basic & Remedial Studies Funtua which awards no certificate, and it was only its proximity that favours its location in Funtua.
Despite the large population of people in the state, coupled with high productivity in agriculture and the highest contribution of internal revenue to the state, the zone does not have a tertiary institution that awards a diploma. The same thing goes to political appointments and distribution of social amenities.
If we take a look at both neighbouring and other states of federation where principle of justice and fairness is observed in allocation of educational institutions, political appointments and resources, one can say Katsina central has not been fair to two zones especially Funtua senatorial zone.
For instance, let’s take a look at how our neighbouring states distribute their tertiary institutions, which is as follows: in Kaduna state, the state’s college of education, school of nursing and the campus of Kaduna State university are sited in Kafachan Local Government Area (Zone III); Kaduna Polytechnic, Kaduna State University main campus are sited in Kaduna city (Zone II); while Ahmadu Bello University, state polytechnic, Federal College of Education and others institutions are sited in Zaria Local Government (Zone I).
In Kano the story is not different, the state university of technology is sited in Wudil Local Government, College of Agriculture is located at Danbatta Local Government, College of Education is located at Kumbotso, Federal College of Education (Technical) is located at Bichi Local Government Area, School of Environmental Technology is located at Gwarzo Local Government leaving the state capital with Bayero University, Kano State Polytechnic and Federal College of Education. This is justice!
Similarly, in Zamfara State the tertiary institutions are located as follows: College of Agriculture Bakura, Federal polytechnic Kaura Namoda, State polytechnic Talata Mafara, College of Education Maru, School of Health Technology Tsafe and the state capital (Gusau) host the following: Federal College of Education (Technical) and Zamfara State College of Arts and Science (ZACAS).
In conclusion, the people of Funtua Senatorial District otherwise known as Karadua zone suffer a serious setback in terms of education, political appointments and distribution of social amenities since the creation of Katsina State. Due to the lack of tertiary institution in the zone one has to travel to the neighbouring states for him/her to gain admission into tertiary institutions as the ones we have in the state do not give due consideration to candidates from the zone. Statistics of admission of both 2008/2009 & 2009/2010 of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University supports this claim. I will finally like to call on the relevant stakeholders in the state to liaise with the state governor to ensure that the federal university is sited in Funtua Senatorial zone, as such will help to address the educational imbalance within the zones in the state.
Jamil writes from Funtua