Prepare master plan, Establish Urban and Regional Planning Department in FUL- NITP urges VC

The Nigeria institute of town planners, NITP, have called for the establishment of the department of Urban and Regional Planning at the Federal University, Lokoja.

Our Kogi State Correspondent reports that the Institute Chairman, Dr. Adams Ndalai Baba, made the call on Monday September 20, at a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor of the institution Prof Olayemi Akinwumi.

Baba, explained that the establishment of urban and regional planning will be a way of raising the university fortunes as there is no university in the state that offers such course at the moment.

He maintained that many products of the two Polytechnic in the State produce graduates yearly and many who finds it desirous to further their studies are saddles with the task of travelling far to fulfil this dream and some without success.

Baba also called for the preparation of master plans for the campus stressing that the Institute has noted with regret that almost all tertiary institutions in the state are carrying out physical development without any Physical Development Plan. 

"One of the things that distinguished you and gave you credit and victory at the interview for this job was your foresight and astuteness submitting a Vision Plan in line with the University’s Strategic Plan on what you will do if given the job. 

"As a professional Institute working towards a functional, aesthetic and livable environment, we urge you to speed up the process of preparing a Campus Master Plan indicates the manner in which all lands on campus should be used and the stages by which such developments are to be carried out.

"It will serve as a policy document prepared to physical developments and solve some planning problems. Doing this will better translate you vision to visible appreciable reality on ground" he added.

On the adversarial by the institution on the appointment of the Director of Physical Planning and Development, the NITP Chairman averred they their hopes were dashed out when the eligibility of professional for the post excluded town planners who by extant laws are the physical planners.

Continuing he said, "This is a source of worry to us as we feel that our jobs are being upsurped by non-relevant professionals. Permit me sir, to inform you that the nomenclature, physical planning is a preserve of Town Planners and the job specification is essentially the responsibility of a Registered Town Planner. We urge you to use to your good office to do the needful that the right professional is engaged for the job".

Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Lokoja, Prof Olayemi Akinwumi assured his visitors that he would carry every stakeholders along towards building the institution of our dream.

The professor of history who lauded the team for their admitted that the University is still far behind compared to other 12 Federal University established during the administration of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Going by the federal government policy of 60 science and 40 art, he said the next faculty that will be established is environmental and agriculture.

Akinwumi while reacting to the establishment of the Department of Urban and Regional Planning in FUL told the NITP team to write to the governing council of the university through the vice chancellor to see that this program officially kicks off in the university.

While admitting that he is running an open door policy in the institution, the vice chancellor also called on them to assist the university to achieve a desirable master plan.

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