Bill For Establishment Of Federal University Of Technology, Ikot Abasi Passes Second Reading

The Bill for an Act to provide the legislative framework and legal teeth backing the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, sponsored by Senator Ekong Sampson, passed its Second Reading in the Senate today.

Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, in June 2021. The university has since taken off smoothly with academic activities and administration.

Recall, too, that Senator Ekong Sampson presented a bill for the university’s establishment on Thursday, March 14, 2024, to give the university a firm legal foundation through an act of parliament.

Leading the debate for a Second Reading of the Bill earlier today at Plenary, Senator Sampson expressed that ‘the establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, not only meets a tapestry of history, it offers a significant step in bridging the gap of tertiary education acquisition for the people of the area, Akwa Ibom State and Nigeria at large’.

‘There is no denying the fact that technology education plays a very pivotal role in the critical manpower development of a country. The establishment of the Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, was conceived within this context—to identify technology gaps and proffer solutions for national needs and development’, he said.

Senator Sampson further noted that in a fast-changing, technology-driven society like ours, there was a great need to put in place institutions with clear mandates and specialisations to provide technology education to the teeming youth population of Nigeria.

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‘The Federal University of Technology, Ikot Abasi, is poised to deepen the employability of our young ones by helping them acquire the needed skills and certification for problem-solving.’

It is worthy of note that Senator Sampson is a seasoned promoter of education and an intellectual himself. He has written several internationally acclaimed books. Sampson, who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, has equally presented bills for the establishment of the Federal University of Medical Sciences, Eket, and has been making a continuous push for the full takeoff of the University of Maritime Studies, Oron.

The national legislator has constantly expressed his dream to achieve the presence of top federal tertiary institutions in the three federal constituencies of Akwa Ibom South. In 2014, he established Excellence College, a top school in Akwa Ibom State, and supported it to run tuition-free for several years.

Sampson’s commitment to education and human capacity development has been standout in his representation. Currently, training programs that he facilitated are ongoing in Akwa Ibom South Senatorial District to further skill up the populace for productivity.

Senator Sampson, in his debate oratory, notified the Senate that Ikot Abasi, which hosts the university, holds significant and economic importance in Nigeria. He highlighted that apart from being home to the famous Aluminium Smelter Company of Nigeria (ALSCON), Ikot Abasi Local Government Area also houses the amalgamation house, Bridge of No Return, and is the hometown of the legendary jurist and elder statesman, the Late Sir Egbert Udo Udoma, former Acting Governor-General, Chief Justice of Uganda, and also former Justice of the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

Sampson surmised that despite such history, Ikot Abasi, hitherto, never had a tertiary institution. He called on his colleagues to support the passage of the bill to give legislative clothing to the ivory tower.

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The Senate at plenary, presided over by Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau Jibrin, commended Senator Sampson for sponsoring such an important bill. Senator Barau observed that for the university to have been operating without proper legislative backing made its foundation vulnerable and praised the Onomkpoinam Mkpat Enin for being a great representative of his people through his advocacy.

The Senate then passed the bill for a second reading and referred it to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education for further action.