A group, FUT Minna Stakeholders Forum has debunked insinuations the indigenes of Niger state are marginalized in the scheme of things in the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna Niger state.
Reacting to last Wednesday protest at the Gidan Kwano campus of the university by some youths, the Coordinator of the FUT-M Stakeholders Forum, Ibrahim Mohammed and Secretary, Segun Aderibigbe, said in a statement that indigenes of Niger state constitute the largest single block employed by the university.
According to the stakeholders, “though FUT Minna is a federal government institution, Niger state alone has over 45 percent of the academic workforce with over 70 percent of the non-academic workforce.
“In addition to this, Niger state alone has five (5) members in the University Council and indigenes of the state are also holding plum positions like Deputy Vice Chancellor (Admin), Registrar, three (3) Deputy Registrars, Deputy Bursars and numerous directors and departmental heads.
“With allthese plum positions one begins to wonder why anyone would want to instigate some youth to disrupt the relative calm academic environment in a school that is known for its almost undisrupted academic activities”.
The FUT-M Stakeholders forum declared that though the indigenes of the state have every right to participate and benefit from institution cited by the federal government in their state, other Nigerians equally have a right benefit from the institution.
“We know of agitations from host communities but even the constitution prescribed 13 percent as derivation to host communities but Niger state has far more than this in FUT Minna and other Nigerians are not complaining”.
They called on the federal government and the Niger state governor, Chief Servant Babangida Aliyu to check the activities of these youths and their sponsors before the situation gets out of hand in view of the security challenges in some states in the North.
“We have been going about our activities in this institution for several years without let or hindrance. This new development can be hijacked by mischief makers to threaten the security of this institution. We therefore call on the federal government and the Niger state governor to check the activities of these youths and their sponsors in view of the security challenges facing most of the states in the North”.