Hon. Olaifa’s National Border Academy Establishment Bill Passes Second Reading In Reps.
By Helen Udoh, Abuja
The bill seeking the establishment of National Border Academy, Imeko, Ogun State has passed second reading in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
The Speaker, Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila, has consequently asked the House Committee on National Security and Intelligence to carry out further legislative action on the proposed legislation.
Leading the debate for the second reading, Hon. Olaifa Jimoh Aremu said the imperative for the establishment of the first of its kind Border Academy in our Country is the need to have a proper and well organized, comprehensive Academy that should be saddled with teaching the personnel and stakeholders involved in the process of manning our borders with adequate real-time knowledge.
On the choice of location, the amiable Ayetoro-born legislator fundamentally asked: “’why imeko?’. He also responded to his question saying: “Imeko, is a current Local Government Headquarters and one of the oldest administrative centres in the entire southwestern Nigeria Border Regions. It possesses the unusual locational advantage as one of Africa’s typically fast-growing cross-border areas in Nigeria. It thus offers the rare attraction of a laboratory situation in which teaching and research about borders are easily complemented with educative field observations”.
The Honourable member representing Egbado North/Imeko Afon also mentioned in his submission that amongst other available infrastructural facilities, there is an existing Institutional Framework at Imeko being the seat of the African Regional Institute registered limited by Guarantee in 2007, which informally began as African University Institute in October 2005.
The second reading, which was not opposed by any member, was supported by Hon Ganiyu Johnson, representing Oshodi/Isolo 2.