Dutse — A retired military officer and former sector commander of the FRSC in Kano, Captain Mohammed Danlami Garba has described the proposal to establish the Federal University of Petroleum Resources at Kaduna at the detriment of the ailing Petroleum Training Institute in Effurun, Delta state as provocative, saying the decision will generate unnecessary controversy.

Retired Captain Garba who made this observation in Dutse Monday, blamed the Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwanu Lukman for not giving the federal government sincere advice on the proper place to site such a university in the first place.

According to him, in the interest of fairness and peace, such an important university should be sited in one of the states in the oil producing state, if government does not have the intention to upgrade the existing PTI institute in Delta state.

Said he "With due respect to the Minister of Petroleum, I feel the suggestion of the site of the university in his home state is selfish and not in the interest of the nation. For instance, will it be proper to establish an Institute of Groundnut Research in the South while the north is known to be the hub of groundnut production?"

He urged the federal government to reconsider its decision to site the university in Kaduna and chose a state in the oil producing states in the interest of national unity, which the present administration is advocating .

On the proposed amnesty package for Niger delta militants, he said it should be supported by all peace loving Nigerians as it is very important for peace to be restored in the Niger Delta region.

He advised the federal government to ensure that leaders of the militants and stakeholders have a clear picture of what government intends to do after the deadline given to the militants and appealed to president Umaru Yar'adua to extend the amnesty granted to the Niger/Delta militants to Major Al_Mustapha and other political detainees, adding that what Nigeria needs now is peace.

The retired military officer also called on Nigerians making unguarded statements concerning the unfortunate happening in the Niger Delta region to desist from inflaming the situation which government is trying hard to address.

Also commenting on the Boko Haram sectarian crisis is some parts of the north, he said it is unfortunate and urged northern governors and other stakeholders in the region to ensure that the activities of the strange sects are not allowed to adulterate innocent children in the north.