President Bola Tinubu has been advised against merging the Nigerian Army University, NAU, with the Nigerian Defence Academy, NDA.
This advice was issued by Osun monarch and Olowu Kuta, Oba Hammed Adekunle Malama.
The monarch’s advice was contained in a statement issued by his media office and obtained on Wednesday.
Oba Malama’s appeal is coming on the heels of the decision of President Tinubu to implement the Stephen Oronsaye report.
According to the statement, “Nigerian Army University, Biu, unlike the Nigerian Defence Academy, is a full fledged federal universitiy like other federal universities in the country, offers various courses and not specialised like NDA.”
The monarch, who recalled that the Nigerian Army University was established by an Act of the National Assembly, added that it cannot be reversed without going back to the Assembly to repeal the Act that set it up.
“Merging NAU with NDA means the Federal Govermment is ready to merge every federal university created by Act of the National Assembly,” he said.
He also reminded President Tinubu that Nigerian Army University was set up to cater for the multitude of students in search of university education in the North East axis.
He added that merging it with the NDA will reduce it to an institution where military personnel are trained.
He, however, commended President Tinubu for the political will to implement a far-reaching civil service reform that was initiated twelve years ago so as to cut the overbloated costs of governance.
“Finally I believe the mix up should not have arisen if proper wider consultation were made before advising Mr President on inclusion of NAU because the University was not even in existence during the Orosanye panel seatings,” he added.