Vom: Federal institution mustn’t be ethnic fiefdom

Since July, the Berom community has been protesting against the appointment of Professor Abdullahi Ahmed as Provost of the Federal College of Animal Health and Production Technology (FCAH&PT) in Vom, Plateau State. This protest, which threatens to shut down the institution's gates, is seen by many as an attack on the principles of a united Nigeria.

The history of Vom is steeped in national and continental significance. Originally established as the Veterinary Laboratory in 1924, it played a crucial role in combating Rinderpest outbreaks that devastated cattle populations across West Africa. Later, in 1941, it became the Veterinary School Vom, which evolved into a leading institution for training veterinary professionals.

Over the past century, Vom has not been a local institution; it has been a cornerstone of Nigeria's agricultural and veterinary development. Its prestige is unparalleled, having been the first higher institution in West Africa to produce veterinary graduates before Nigeria's first university was established. Notably, Sir Dauda Jawara, a former President of The Gambia, and numerous others from countries like Cameroon, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia, Ethiopia, and Sudan, were trained as veterinary officers at Vom.

The current protest is particularly disturbing because it focuses solely on Professor Ahmed, while other key leaders of the Vom institution complex, such as Dr. Yakubu Gunya Dashe and Dr. Chukwu Otuh Okoh Chukwu, who are Christians, have been appointed without similar outrage. This selective outrage suggests that the protest is driven by ethnic and religious bias rather than concerns about merit or competence.

If Plateau State or any other state is allowed to dictate who heads federal institutions within its territory, the foundation of the Nigerian federation will be undermined. Federal institutions are national assets, not the property of host communities. Allowing such a precedent would transform federal institutions into ethnic and religious fiefdoms, eroding their national character and undermining meritocracy.

The Berom community's donation of land over a century ago does not entitle it to "inalienable rights" over a federal institution. The federal government must reject this dangerous trend decisively, as once this trend takes root, it will spread across the country, deepening the parochialism that the federal system was designed to overcome.