- Calls For Increased Allocation To Varsities In 2025 Budget
THE Senate has asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the immediate dredging of Rivers Niger and Benue, as part of preventive measures against flooding and facilitate its inclusion into the 2025 budget.
The upper legislative chamber adopted the resolution following a motion moved by Sen. Amos Yohanna on the urgent need for intervention in the humanitarian crisis caused by flooding in Adamawa North senatorial district.
A general view of flood water surrounding a building in Maiduguri on September 10, 2024. – Flood water from an overflowing dam has destroyed tens of houses in Maiduguri, the capital city of Borno state in Northeast Nigeria, with emergency officials fearing the situation could get worse.
An epicentre of more than a decade-long jihadist insurgency, Maiduguri serves as the hub for the responses to the humanitarian crisis in the northeast region.
It would be recalled that in 2024, the Senate had at an emergency session equally resolved to facilitate the inclusion of the dredging of River Benue, River Niger, and other river projects in the 2024 Appropriation Bill. The plan was expected to help combat recurring flooding and its effects around the country.
In his lead debate, yesterday, Sen. Yohanna noted that there was massive flooding that caused catastrophic destruction in the five local government areas of Adamawa North Senatorial District, namely; Madagali, Maiha, Michika, Mubi North and Mubi South which destroyed hundreds of houses and farmlands.
The lawmakers further resolved to direct the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to as a matter of urgent priority reach out to the affected communities and provide relief materials to the victims.
Meanwhile, the Senate has asked the Federal Government to increase budgetary allocation to federal universities in the 2025 budget so as to take care of the teething problems of Nigerian universities.
The lawmakers also resolved to mandate the relevant committee or senate to liaise with the ministers of finance, education and other relevant ministries or immediately take steps to checkmate the increasing spate of brain drain in the country.
This resolution came after a lawmaker, Senator Anthony Okorie raised the alarm in a motion, over the growing challenge of brain drain and in consequence, the significant outflow of highly educated professionals in Nigeria, especially in the academia, in quest for better working conditions, exacerbating the skill gap in the workforce of the country. Okorie also expressed worry over the poor remunerations and working conditions of Nigerian lecturers.
He noted that since it was last reviewed over 15 years ago, it remained among the poorest in the world, and triggers the continuous loss of experienced hands from the nation’s ivory towers to other countries.
The lawmakers also mandated the relevant committee or senate to liaise with the ministers of finance, education and other relevant ministries or immediately take steps to checkmate the increasing spate of brain drain in the country.
