A storm of controversy is brewing over claims that Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, plans to phase out all faculties and programmes not related to science and technology.

 

The Bauchi State Citizens Forum, a coalition of professors, lawyers and civil society activists, raised the alarm at a press conference, calling the alleged move a “regression” and a “bad omen” for education in the state.

 

The group’s leader, Dr. Abdullahi Yelwa, said a recent meeting between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and ATBU management confirmed that courses such as Management Sciences might be shut down. “It is clear that ATBU’s leadership is considering closing faculties such as Management Sciences, which will deny thousands of prospective students, especially those from Bauchi State, the chance to acquire university education,” Yelwa stated.

 

However, the university’s management has firmly denied the allegations. The Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr. Zailani Bappa, told journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Press Centre in Bauchi that the claims were unfounded and not initiated by the institution’s leadership.

 

“There are essentially two issues raised in the press statement by the Bauchi State Concerned Citizens. None of these allegations is true because the Vice-Chancellor has not taken any such action,” Bappa clarified.

 

He explained that the controversy stems from a recent meeting convened by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, where all Vice-Chancellors and Governing Council Chairmen of federal universities were informed of the Federal Government’s decision to enforce each university’s original mandate.

 

“As you all know, ATBU was established as a technology-based university. Over time, other management-related courses were introduced. Now, the Federal Government insists that such universities must return to their original mandate. This is not the Vice-Chancellor’s decision, nor that of the Governing Council, but a directive that must be implemented,” he said.

 

Bappa further explained that funding for the university’s Directorate of Distance Learning, which runs mostly management-related programmes, has been temporarily suspended to align with the policy. He stressed that this step is not a permanent closure but a response to the new federal directive.

 

He appealed for understanding from stakeholders and urged them to support efforts by Senator Shehu Buba Umar, representing Bauchi South Senatorial District, to push for an amendment to the law establishing ATBU. Such an amendment, he said, would allow the institution to operate as a conventional university and legally sustain non-technology courses.

 

“Unless the law is amended to convert ATBU into a conventional university, there is nothing anyone can do to stop the current process of reverting to the original mandate,” Bappa concluded.