Egbewole seeks NASS support for adequate funding of varsities

By Tajudeen Babamale, Bashir Dawodu and Latifat Raji

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Wahab Olasupo Egbewole, SAN, has called on the National Assembly to provide adequate budgetary support for universities in Nigeria to enable them to achieve global standard.

Prof. Egbewole made this appeal last Monday (July 1, 2024) while declaring open a public lecture titled, “Constitutional Amendment and the Political Dynamics of State Policing in Nigeria”, organised by the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, in collaboration with the Institute for Legislative Studies, University of Ilorin.   

The Public Lecture, which held at the University Auditorium, was attended by the leadership of the Senate, including the Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele, CON, who was the Guest Lecturer.

The Vice Chancellor, who lamented the unsustainable nature of current challenges faced by federal universities, particularly concerning the recent hike in electricity charges and other services, noted that only the National Assembly could rescue universities from this predicament.

 Addressing the topic of the public lecture, Prof. Egbewole praised the idea of constitutional amendment, noting its positive impact since the advent of the Fourth Republic. However, he pointed out that the implementation process has faced significant challenges, as he called for strong synergy among government organs to ensure that amendments, especially those concerning state policing, benefit the people effectively.

The Professor of Jurisprudence and International Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria also expressed support for the principle of state policing because, according to him, it would enhance community safety. He however, stressed the importance of appropriate legislative provisions to prevent abuses similar to those seen with state electoral commissions. “We must ensure they are not created for political witch hunts. This can be achieved if the legislature provides watertight provisions that are not easily abused, making the idea a successful one”, he noted. Prof. Egbewole also applauded the leadership of the 10th Assembly for finding time to be at the Most Outstanding University in Nigeria. He said, “Taking time to be here by the leadership of the National Assembly is an endorsement of our university’s focus on improving the legislative arm and repositioning it for effective performance.” The Vice Chancellor appealed to the Senate Leader to support the Institute of Legislative Studies at the University of Ilorin through training and other forms of assistance.