Senate Approves Upgrade Of Offa Poly To University

The Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State has been approved to be upgraded to a university.

Naija News understands that the development came to be after the Senate on Tuesday passed the Federal Universities of Technology Act 2004 (Amendment) Bill, 2022.

The passage of the FUTA (Amendment) bill automatically gives consent for the upgrade of the 1992 established institutions which offers mainly the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma respectively.

The new bill approval has now launched the Offa Poly to a full-fledged Degree awarding the Federal University of Technology.

The Senate also on Tuesday gave approval for the establishment of the School of Mines and Geological Studies, Guyuk.

Naija News reports that the passage of both bills followed the consideration of two separate reports by the Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND.

Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ahmad Babba Kaita had in his presentation, said that establishing the school of mines and geological studies would provide for the training of middles and junior level manpower for the mineral and mining sector.

He added that it would also facilitate collaboration with other national and international institutions involved in the general exploration and mining of precious stones and ore as well as encourage teacher training, research, and general development of teacher education.

Meanwhile, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife has commenced an indefinite strike over alleged unpaid allowances.

A statement released on Tuesday by the academic union noted that the decision was necessary after all its effort to resolve the issue of the payments to its deserving members fell to nought.

Naija News reports that the varsity’s ASUU chairperson, Adeola Egbedokun, disclosed this in the communique issued shortly after an emergency meeting members of the union on Monday.

The union noted in the statement that it became evident to them that there was no “serious commitment” on the part of the varsity’s management to pay its members the deserved funds.

It also said the strike, which it described as “comprehensive and total,” would not be called off without a concrete resolution of the institution’s ASUU congress.

The body said payment of the allowances to its members must be based on the stipulated ASUU computation, adding that it would not accept any other initiative.