Gov Bago Under Scrutiny as FUT Minna Alumni Seek Tinubu's Intervention Over Bosso Campus Saga
- Prof. Shola Gabriel Solomon, Alumni President, urged Tinubu and the National Assembly to halt Governor Bago’s Bosso campus takeover
- Prof. Solomon recalled that the university secured ownership of the campus in 1982 with compensation to Niger State
- The Alumni Association warned of a dangerous precedent and vowed to pursue all legal remedies to defend the institution’s assets
FCT, Abuja - The national leadership of the Alumni Association of the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Minna has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly to intervene and stop Governor Muhammed Umar Bago from taking over the institution’s Bosso campus.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, the National President of FUT Minna Alumni Association, Prof. Shola Gabriel Solomon, said the alumni would “leave no stone unturned in the defence of the university’s assets at any location, at any time, and by every lawful means available.”
Source: Original
Alumni highlight historical ownership of Bosso campus
Prof. Solomon recalled that in 1982, the pioneer Vice-Chancellor of FUT Minna, Prof. Jonathan O. Ndagi, approached the then Governor of Niger State, Alhaji Awwal Ibrahim, requesting the release of secondary schools in Minna to allow the newly established university to commence activities.
“The then Vice-Chancellor requested outright ownership by the university with adequate compensation, enabling the state government to build other schools without additional funding,” he explained. Prof. Solomon also dismissed claims that the Bosso campus was unused, stating that it currently houses functioning departments, laboratories, lecture theatres, a staff school, staff quarters, a bank, Juma’at mosque, and the Chapel of Grace.
Alumni warn of dangerous precedent
The alumni warned that the actions of the Niger State government, if unchecked, could set a “dangerous precedent” for federal institutions across Nigeria.
“If a state government can unilaterally evict a federal university from its campus, disrupting academic programmes for thousands of students and the livelihoods of hundreds of staff without due process, no federal institution is safe,” Prof. Solomon said. “This is an assault not just on FUT Minna but on the federal character principle and national unity.”
The association also urged the university’s governing council and management to take immediate legal action to protect the Bosso campus, pledging moral, financial, and organisational support to defend the university’s property rights.
Alumni vow to pursue all legal avenues
Prof. Solomon emphasised the alumni’s commitment to using all legal channels, including civil, constitutional, and international remedies if necessary.
“We are prepared to mobilise our members in Nigeria and the diaspora, engage the finest legal minds, and pursue this matter to the Supreme Court of Nigeria if required,” he said.
He further appealed to former and current students, staff, retired personnel, and well-wishers of FUT Minna worldwide to stand in solidarity with the institution.
“The Bosso Campus is not just real estate — it is sacred ground, the cradle of our academic formation and the birthplace of careers that have contributed to the development of Nigeria and the world. We will not surrender it to political brinkmanship,” he stressed.
Call on federal authorities to act
The alumni urged President Tinubu, the Honourable Minister of Education, and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission to intervene immediately. They also called on the National Assembly to summon Governor Bago and relevant state officials to explain the “unilateral and reckless action.”
“The integrity of federal institutions must be defended at the highest levels of government,” Prof. Solomon concluded.
Source: Legit.ng
