The House of Representatives has begun a move to establish the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages following the passage of a bill for first reading on Thursday.
The bill, which is been sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and eight others, is aimed at establishing a university for the promotion of the learning of Nigerian languages.
According to section II part I of the bill, the university when established shall, “Encourage the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher education in Nigerian languages and cultures.”
In Section 14 (2), the President is required to “As often as the circumstances may require, not being less than once every five years, conduct a visitation of the university or direct that such a visitation be conducted by such person or persons as the visitor may deem fit and in respect of any of the affairs of the university.”
Sub-section 3 provides that “It shall be the duty of the bodies and persons comprising the university to make available to the visitor and to any other person conducting a visitation in pursuance of this section, such facilities and assistance as he or they may reasonably require for a visitation.”
The Visitor (President) is also vested with the powers to remove from office council members apart from the pro-chancellor and the vice-chancellor of the university.
It also aims to “Develop and offer academic and professional programmes leading to the award of diplomas, first degrees, postgraduate research and higher degrees with emphasis on planning, adaptive, developmental and productive skills in the field of Nigerian languages and cultures.
This is aimed at, “Producing socially mature persons with capacity to communicate, understand and use Nigerian languages for national development.”
The federal institution, when established would also “Act as agents and catalysts, through postgraduate training, research and innovation for the effective and economic utilization, exploitation and conservation of Nigeria’s natural, economic and human resources.resources
Source :Vanguard
