EXCLUSIVE: Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, Makurdi, Benue State May Wind Up

The students of Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies, Makurdi, Benue are withdrawing their admissions while some of the teaching staff has tendered their resignation letter.

Trouble started when the school management informed the staff and students that the school is to be relocated to Biu, in Borno State on the instruction of the Chief of Army Staff.

A particular department that had over 70 students last semester had just 30 registered students this semester.

As Head of Departments where mandated to move to Biu in April, some teaching staff are considering resignation since they are yet to confirmed them as Ministry of Defence staff and their take home pay of N20,000 monthly is nothing to write home about.

"How can I go and risk my life with the insecurity in Borno State with monthly N20,000 that can take care of my needs in a week? We are yet to be confirmed as a staff of the Ministry of Defence, so why risk my life?" a junior lecturer told our reporter.

"There is vast land here to accommodate the school and students but the Chief of Army Staff insisted the school should be moved to his Local Government in Borno State without adequate security for them" another Laboratory Scientist said.

"My parents immediately asked me to withdrawal as I told them we are leaving Makurdi to Biu in Borno state" a student confided in our reporter.

Our investigation further revealed that the school may wind up with the rate of resignation from the teaching staff while 60% of the students in the school have withdrawn their admission.

It will be recalled that the Benue House of Assembly has opposed the planned relocation of the Nigerian Army Institute of Technology and Environmental Studies (NAITES) from Makurdi to Biu in Borno State.

The assembly condemned the situation where recent chiefs of army staff (COAS), have tried to relocate the school to their home towns, citing the case of the former COAS, Gen Ihejirika to move the institute to Ovim, in Abia State and now the plan by the serving COAS, Gen Buratai to relocate the school to Biu, in Borno State.

The motion on the matter was moved by Mr Benjamin Nungwa (APC-Kwande-west). He lamented that the military high command was making arrangements to relocate the institute, which was established in the state 14 years ago.

The lawmaker noted that Benue indigenes have sacrificed both human and material resources to keep the country as one united entity through the civil war and insisted that the agrarian state deserved more compensation.

The teaching staff and students are appealing to the President and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces to look into their case and reconsidered moving the school to Biu, in Borno State for the sake of their security and extra cost.