The lawmaker representing Isiala Ngwa North State Constituency in the Abia State House of Assembly, Chief Collins Ugochukwu Iheonunekwu (Ochake) has called on the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, to consider renaming the proposed Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages, to be located in Aba, Abia State, after the late Jaja Wachuku.
Citing Jaja Wachuku’s distinguished profile as one of Nigeria’s founding fathers, Hon. Collins highlighted his pivotal roles in shaping the nation’s early political history and its journey to independence. Wachuku served as the first Speaker of the First Republic, the first Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the first Foreign Affairs Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the first Senator of the Aba Zone.
Speaking to newsmen in Umuahia, The lawmaker emphasized the importance of honoring Wachuku, particularly given his indigenous roots in the Aba zone, where the university is to be established, noting that this gesture would not only honor a national icon but also help address the sense of marginalization felt by the local population, reinforcing the government’s acknowledgment of the zone’s historical and political contributions. Hon. Collins expressed confidence that the Deputy Speaker would find the proposal both timely and appropriate.
Recall that The House of Representatives had last Thursday passed for first reading on a bill seeking to establish the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Federal University of Nigerian Languages which was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, and eight others, aimed at establishing a university for the promotion of the learning of Nigerian languages.
