TVC N. The Nigerian senate has begun the public hearing on the Federal Polytechnics Act amendment Bill 2016 and Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act amendment Bill 2016.
The amendment is intended to correct the anomaly in the TetFund Act which is a violation of section 80(4) of the constitution.
Bukola Saraki, senate president, on Monday, declared the session open.
Represented by Olusola Adeyeye, the chief whip, Saraki said: “The Bill seeks to realign the laws of the polytechnics to suit technical education in the country.
“It also seeks to strengthen polytechnics and ensure stability in the polytechnics.”
He noted that polytechnic education could help advance Nigeria’s technological acumen if the right structures are in place. Sponsor of the Bill, Jibrin Barau, had previously noted that the Bill was designed to correct the anomaly in Tetfund Act.
He had said the spending and disbursements of funds by TetFund was a clear violation of the constitution.
“The tenement of this bill is to correct the constitutional aberration which was capitalised upon in the recent past to divert the fund to other uses.
“It is therefore certain that when the proposed amendment is made to the Principal Act, monies belonging to TetFund shall be duly secured,’’ he had said.