Yobe South deserves the newly proposed Federal University of Medical Sciences, by Kasim Isa Muhammad
One of the proposed Federal Universities of Medical Sciences was situated in the Gashua town of Yobe North. Gashua is currently the home base of Federal University Gashua, also known as FUGA. FUGA was established in the year 2013 by the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan. Since then, FUGA has normalised and continues to produce graduates in numerous fields of human endeavour.
Doubtlessly, gaining an additional federal university in Yobe State will positively and significantly improve the standard of education in the state. This is in line with the state government’s agenda, which led to the declaration of an emergency in the education sector in 2019.
However, there are lots of varying and sometimes conflicting opinions among the good people of Yobe regarding its location. One popular view was the one that put Senator Ahmad Lawan on the spot, underlining his lack of sensitivity to the plight of other parts of Yobe where no university was situated. It is difficult, according to others, to rule out that Senator Lawan is guided by sentiments either of tribe, region or undermining fellow Senator Ibrahim Mohammed Bomoi, whose constituency has no university at all. If this viewpoint is correct, Senator Lawan’s single action will jeopardize the existing cordial relationship between the various parts of Yobe State. There is a need for collective efforts to draw the attention of those concerned so that the location of the new university can be moved to any of the local government areas of Yobe South.
Among the seventeen local government areas of Yobe state, Potiskum is the most developed in terms of education, economy, and politics. It is a town that caters to all, irrespective of their tribes, religion, or background. With its buoyancy in business activities, perhaps one can rightly opine that it hosts the new university. Advantages include seamless take-off, easy access and connection to other parts of the state and the nation, and the availability of decent social infrastructure. Politically, this will strike an important balance: Yobe-East had Yobe State University (YSU), Yobe-North had FUGA, and Yobe-South will have the new university.
It is at this point that I wanted to call the attention of Senators Ibrahim Geidam and Ibrahim Bomoi to add weight to this important matter that is not only fair but necessary. There is also room for critical stakeholders such as the Governor of Yobe State, His Excellency Mai Mala Buni, Royal Fathers in the State, Civil Society Organisations and others to support the location of the Federal University of Medical Science in Potiskum. This way, Yobe will be great.
Kasim Isa Muhammad writes from Potiskum, Yobe State.
