Claiming that the constitutional requirement of federal character was overlooked in the makeup of Governing Councils of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, Hon Francis Waive, the representative for Ughelli North, Ughelli South, and Udu federal constituency in the House of Representatives, has raised concerns.
He expressed disappointment that Delta State secured only four out of the 560 positions available from the 36 states.
In a letter dated June 15, 2024, titled “Complaint On Gross Marginalization Of Delta State In Composition Of Councils Of Tertiary Institutions” and addressed to the Hon Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, Waive criticized the significant marginalization of Delta State.
Chairing the House Committee on Rules and Business, Waive highlighted that among the total 560 positions, only four were designated for Delta State, while his constituency and the Delta central senatorial district were entirely excluded.
Stating in the letter, “I am writing on behalf of my constituents and our senatorial district that were completely disregarded in the recent formation of Governing Councils of Tertiary Institutions across the nation.”
“The constitutional mandate for federal character was blatantly disregarded with only four positions allocated to Delta State out of the 36 states,” he added.
“Indeed, our constituency and senatorial district were entirely omitted among the 109 Senatorial Districts and 360 federal constituencies in the country,” Waive continued.
Expressing the immense pressure from their people due to this perceived injustice, Waive appealed to the Minister of Education to urgently rectify this situation to restore a sense of inclusion for his constituents within the federal republic. He thanked the Minister for his cooperation and swift action in advance.