The Senate has advanced the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Item Bende (Establishment) Bill and the Federal College of Education, Bende (Establishment) Bill to their third reading.
Sponsored by Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, the bills were approved following the Senateโs adoption of recommendations presented by Deputy Leader Sen. Lola Ashiru.
Earlier, the House of Representatives had endorsed the proposals during its Committee of the Whole before transmitting them to the Senate for concurrence.
The Federal College of Education, Bende bill aims to deliver full-time programs in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts, and humanities, among other disciplines.
In his lead debate, Kalu emphasized that Bendeโdespite its size, equivalent to four local government areasโhas remained intact since its creation in 1976.
โDespite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen.
This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,โ he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
He noted that specialised medical universities have become very important in Nigeria as there is increasing demand for medical and health professionals, especially now that the country keep losing her trained medical and health personnel to other countries of the world.
The lawmaker added that the early passage and signing of the bills into law is not only necessary but imperative.
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