SSANU, NASU, reject conversion of ATBU to conventional university

Armstrong Allahmagani

More reactions have continued to trail the move by the Senate to convert the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi to a conventional institution.

The Senator representing Bauchi South Sensorial District, Shehu Buba Umar, had sponsored the bill for the conversion of the 45 - year old University of Technology to a conventional one.

The second reading of the bill was passed on October 21st.

ALSO READ: Bill Seeking Conversion of ATBU to Conventional Varsity Stirs Controversy in Bauchi

But since the introduction of the bill, there have been reactions and counter-reactions from various stakeholders within and outside the institution including the management and alumni.

Sulisma Jatau

Also speaking on the development, the former Chairman, Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Sulisma Jatau, also rejected the move.

"We're just making a clear statement that ATBU has been a university of technology for a very long time and its core mandate is the advancement of technology. And presently, it is the only university of technology in the North-East. 

"We're stakeholders in this university and we have graduated students from this university, so I don't think there's any point in renaming or changing the mandate from a university of technology to any conventional university, it doesn't make sense at all.

"For example, if you say you want to change it to a conventional university, you'll need to have infrastructures and you'll need to have staff who are currently in short supply. Presently, there are so many universities that were created by the government and when they were created, people go in for sabbatical and people go in for visiting. So, if you say you'll change ATBU from a university of technology to any conventional university, where are we going to have the manpower and what of the infrastructures that were there," he said.

Jatau noted that changing the mandate of the University is a step in the wrong direction arguing that doing so now at a time the world is evolving around technology will only leave the institution and the State behind.

"The world is now going technological and if the world is going technological, why do you want to change? And Bauchi State has not complained, the people of Bauchi have not complained, the staff of the university have not complained and the students are also not complaining. So, why should somebody come from without and say that he wants to change the name or the core mandate of the university.

"This is not proper at all, what we really need is for ATBU to remain a university of technology and a university of technology it shall remain forever. And we shall make this clear that nobody from anywhere will now change the name of the university to any conventional university. What we need now is to move forward with the new trends of events in the world, the whole world is going technological and ATBU and Bauchi cannot be left behind. This is our position," he stated.

The former union leader expressed optimism that the Nigerian Senate will do the needful by not going on ahead to pass the bill for the third reading and transmuting it to the President for his assent. 

He however said that: "but if they do otherwise, we will come back home and decide on what step to take next. But my call to the Senate is for them to listen to the voice of the University stakeholders that ATBU should remain a university of technology and that is our position."