President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Assembly have received a request from a group called Borno Concern Citizens to hold off from merging the Nigerian Army University Biu (NAUB) with the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), Kaduna.

They claimed it would be ineffective for the two schools to unite as planned at the recommendation of the Oronsaye Report.

The petition was included in a letter sent through the committee the federal government established to carry out the Oronsaye report, which calls for the consolidation of some agencies.

The Borno Concern Citizens argued that it would be ineffective to combine the civilian population from the Nigerian Army University Biu with the NDA.

As stated in the appeal letter for the Borno State Concerned Citizens, which was signed by Alhaji Muhammad Ibrahim (Dan Masanin Biu), they are raising the matter immediately so as not to complicate the proceedings further.

The letter, which contained just one prayer, pleaded with the Committee on the Implementation of the Oronsaye Report and White Papers on Restructuring and Rationalization of Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies, and Commission to reevaluate the consolidation of the Nigerian Army University Biu and the Nigerian Defence Academy and permit each to fulfill its unique role in the national interest.

While NDA was founded on January 5, 1964, as a result of the merger of the Nigerian Military Training College (NMTC), which trained officers for the Nigerian Army, Navy, and Air Force, and the Royal Military Forces Training College (RMFTC), which serves as the Army’s training institution, Wakadaily reports that NAUB was founded in 2018, with a special mandate as a hub for technological development and innovation for the Nigerian Defense sector and the country, in order to meet the rapid development in the dynamics of modern warfare and other ancillary matters. This was years after the Oronsaye report.

“Further aware that in establishing NAUB, due process and rule of law were strictly adhered to and approvals were sought from the National Universities Commission (NUC), the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at it’s meeting of 11th April 2018 which later culminated in an Act of National Assembly accented to by the President on the 1 April, 2021.

“Subsequently the Act was published on 7th April, 2021 in a gazette No.110 Vol.108 Nigerian Army University, Biu (Establishment) Act 2020.

“Also notes that the vision of the University as conceptualized is to become a solutions centre in technology, research and development for the promotion of self-reliance, creativity and innovation in addressing the educational challenges of the Nigeria Army, Military as well as the nation.

“This vision was derived from the experiences of similar Universities all over the world such as the National Defense University of Technology in China, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh just to mention a few.

“Also, aware that the University is an assemblage, which comprises 75% civilian and 25% Military population, with a mixed staff strength, made up of both military and civilian intellectuals.

“Its programmes are carefully crafted and structured to strengthen the Nigerian Army and the nation, through sound and innovative application and deployment of science and technology,” the group said.

Concerned Citizens of Borno State expressed concern that the combination of these two unique organizations may not be good for the significance of the military’s defense and training programs.

“The Nigerian Defence Academy is a specialised Institution, strategically positioned to train officers for the Nigerian Army, Navy and Air Force,” it said.