By Emmanuel Aziken, Political Editor

Governor Ibrahim Idris of Kogi State and Senator Smart Adeyemi (PDP, Kogi West) are up again in battle against each other over the siting of the proposed federal university meant for the North-Central zone.

While both men have joined forces to ensure that the university is sited in Kogi State, they are, however, sharply divided over which Senatorial zone the university should be located.

The Federal Executive Council had last Wednesday approved the recommendations of the Federal Ministry of Education that six new federal universities be established for each of the six geopolitical zones. Bayelsa is to receive that proposed for the South-South while Jigawa is to receive the one proposed for the North-West.

The Committee that made the recommendation, Vanguard learnt, had proposed that the university for the North-Central be located in Nasarawa State, a proposal that stirred petitions from both Governor Idris and Senator Adeyemi.

Both men, it was learnt, petitioned the committee that made the recommendation last Friday. The committee is headed by Prof. Julius Okojie, Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, NUC.

The Okojie committee did not buckle to the protest from the governor and the senator, though both men, it was learnt, are advancing their petitions separately to the President for reconsideration.

“Adeyemi has also written the committee with supporting indices on why it must be sited in Kogi State. The panel has however made up its mind to  go ahead to submit its report on Monday. It is left to the President to take a final decision on the sites,”one source confided at the weekend, ahead of today’s expected submission of the report on the siting of the universities.

The governor and Senator Adeyemi are also maintaining separate positions on the siting of the university. Governor Idris, it was learnt wants the university sited in Kogi East or in the alternative for the federal government to take over the existing Kogi State University located within Kogi East. Senator Adeyemi on the other hand wants the university sited in Kogi West senatorial district which he claims lacks federal presence.