FG withdraws agric varsities from education ministry

By John Oba
Abuja

As part of efforts to reposition the agricultural sector, all Federal Universities of Agriculture in the country are now to be supervised by Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
As a result, students not interested in farming would seek admission elsewhere, while undergraduates in these universities must from now on, own a farm since their 60 per cent cumulative scores would be strictly based on practical farming.

Chairman, House Committee on Agriculture, Hon. Mohammed Monguno, called for the sponsoring executive or a bill by the House Committee on agriculture for the establishment of National Agricultural University Commission (NAUC) that would be charged with the responsibilities of regulating the universities.
At a meeting with the chairmen of councils and vice-chancellors of the universities in Abuja, yesterday, said the step was taken in line with  the approval for the establishment three universities and based on sound reasoning and logic.

Addressing the management of the universities, the Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, said the move will ultimately help to effectively reposition the universities as centres of excellence for the rapid development of the agricultural sector.
Ogbeh charged the university managements to abhor non-agricultural courses in their curricula.
The Pro-Chancellor, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia state, Prof. Anya O. Anya, commended the decision to return to their mandates.