The House of Representatives Committee on University Education has expressed concern over the poor state of infrastructure, particularly access roads, at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, both in Imo State.

The Chairman of the Committee, Abubakar Fulata, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Sunday following the committee’s oversight visit to the institutions on Saturday.

He appealed to the Federal Ministries of Works and Education, as well as the Imo State Government, to urgently intervene and rehabilitate the roads linking the universities to surrounding communities.

Fulata lamented that the Obinze–FUTO Road has become virtually impassable, especially during the rainy season, causing hardship for students, staff, and residents who rely on it for daily movement.

“The condition of the Obinze–FUTO Road is so deplorable that vehicles, tricycles, and even pedestrians struggle to navigate it during the rainy season,” Fulata said.

He also decried the absence of a perimeter fence around FUTO, describing it as a major security risk that has led to trespassing and encroachment on the university’s land.

At the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Stella Lemchi, highlighted the institution’s challenges, including the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board policy restricting admission to November 17, 2025.

She explained that the university recently secured accreditation for new programmes from the National Universities Commission, but might be unable to admit students into them if the admission window is not extended.

“The main challenge we face is the restricted admission period set by JAMB. We would be grateful if JAMB could extend the deadline to the end of November to enable us to admit students into our newly accredited programmes,” Lemchi appealed.

She also called on the Federal Government to reverse the outsourcing of campus security services, noting that paying outsourced personnel from the university’s limited Internally Generated Revenue has become unsustainable.

“We plead that the Federal Government should reintegrate the payment of security personnel into the national budget. This will ease the financial burden on institutions and help improve the welfare and efficiency of the operatives,” she said.

Lemchi further urged the government to rehabilitate internal roads, especially within the Nworie campus, where major new structures are being developed.

In a related development, the Executive Director of the National Institute for Nigerian Languages, Prof Ogbonna Onuoha, appealed for the release of the institute’s take-off grant, lamenting that more than three decades after its establishment, NINLAN has yet to receive the statutory funding needed for effective operation.

He also sought autonomy for the institute to run degree programmes in line with its Establishment Act, stressing that language education is critical to national identity and cultural preservation.

The committee chairman assured the institutions that the House would relay their concerns to the relevant authorities and push for prompt government intervention.

The Federal University of Technology, Owerri, and the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, have long suffered from poor access and internal road networks that disrupt academic and daily activities.

The Obinze–FUTO road, the main route linking FUTO to the city, has deteriorated badly over the years, leaving deep potholes and poor drainage that render it almost impassable during the rainy season.

Staff and students struggle to reach the campus, often trekking long distances or paying high transport fares.

Despite repeated appeals to the Imo State Government and the Federal Ministry of Works, only temporary repairs have been done, leaving the problem largely unresolved.

At Alvan Ikoku University, the situation is no better. Many of its internal roads, especially within the Nworie campus, are in disrepair, frequently flooding during heavy rains and hindering movement around the campus.

As the institution expands its facilities, road infrastructure has not kept pace, compounding the hardship faced by students and workers.

Both universities also contend with inadequate drainage, limited funding for maintenance, and security concerns linked to poor infrastructure—issues that have repeatedly drawn the attention of lawmakers and education stakeholders calling for urgent government intervention. (Sunday PUNCH)