Senate Passes Bills To Establish Federal University, Teaching Hospital
The Senate on Wednesday passed two Bills into law, seeking to establish a specialised Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences in Ekiti State, and a Teaching Hospital for Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa State.
The Bills are Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin, Ekiti State (Establishment) Bill, 2021, and Federal University Lafia Teaching Hospital (Establishment) Bill, 2021.
Both Bills were sponsored by Senators Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti Central), and Tanko Al-Makura (APC, Nasarawa South).
The passage of both Bills followed the presentation and consideration of two separate reports on the proposed legislations by the Senate Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Yahaya Oloriegbe (APC, Kwara Central), in his presentation, said the Bill to establish the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital was “necessitated as a result of the precarious health conditions faced by residents.”
Also, according to him, the Bill to establish the Federal University of Health and Medical Sciences Iyin-Ekiti, Ekiti State, seeks to promote and emphasise teaching, research and extension of knowledge in the field of medicine and environmental sciences.
In a related development, the Senate on Wednesday passed another Bill to amend the University Teaching Hospitals (Reconstitution of Boards) Act.
The passage by the upper chamber followed consideration of a report by the Committee on Health (Secondary and Tertiary).
Senator Oloriegbe in his presentation explained that the amendment Bill seeks to amend the First Schedule to the Principal Act to include the University Teaching Hospital, Lafia and Modibbo Adama University Teaching Hospital.
In a related development, a Bill seeking to establish the Federal College of Education, Kaiama, Kwara State, scaled second reading at plenary.
The Bill is sponsored by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar (APC, Kwara North).
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, after the Bill was considered, referred it to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFund for further legislative inputs.
The Committee which is chaired by Senator Ahmad Baba Kaita (APC, Katsina North) was given four weeks to report back to the red chamber.
