Bende Citizen Faults Alleged Plan To Relocate Federal University From Item To Bende Town

A public affairs analyst, Chief Emenike Okorie, has faulted reports that the Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences designated for Item in Bende Local Government Area is being considered for relocation to Bende town.

In a statement on Tuesday, Okorie said Ndi Bende deserved urgent explanations if the report was true, stressing that a federal institution established by law should not become an object of political bargaining or electoral retaliation.

“If Bende town deserves a federal university, why must Item lose the one already designated for it? Why not attract another federal institution to Bende without depriving Item of its own?” he queried.

He said Item had reportedly provided land and made preparations for the take-off of the university, adding that any move to transfer the project after such preparations raised questions about fairness, due process and respect for the community’s expectations.

Okorie cautioned that the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, should use his office to promote equitable development across Bende Federal Constituency and not give the impression that federal projects are privileges to be distributed according to political loyalty.

He noted that there were suspicions in some quarters linking the controversy to Item’s reported declining support for the APC and opposition to Kalu’s third-term ambition, saying such suspicions require evidence while the alleged relocation proposal requires official clarification.

“Public office must never become an instrument of political punishment. If political disagreement is influencing decisions about the location of a public institution, that would represent a dangerous abuse of public trust,” he said.

According to him, federal representation carries a responsibility to distribute opportunities fairly, and no community should be treated as less deserving because it disagrees politically with its representative.

Okorie called on Governor Alex Otti, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the leadership of Bende Local Government, traditional rulers, community leaders and relevant federal lawmakers to intervene and seek clarification from the Federal Government on the status of the institutions and the legal basis for any proposed change.

“The people of Item must peacefully and firmly defend their legitimate interests through lawful and democratic means. Both communities deserve development. The progress of one must not depend on the deprivation of the other,” he said.

He added that as the 2027 elections approach, the people have the right to scrutinise the record of their representatives, insisting that leadership should be measured by service, fairness, accountability and the ability to unite communities.