By DADA AYOKHAI
Edo State government has approved the constitution of the Governing council of the state owned Instititution,Edo state University Uzairue and similarly appointed Prof Thomas Okpo Audu as the chairman of the Governing Council.
Prof Audu who hails from Agenebode in Etsako East LGA of Edo state is an emeritus professor at the department of Chemical Engineering, University of Benin will chair the seven-man Council which has other eminent citizens of the state as members.
In a statement released in Benin and signed by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Bar Osarodion Ogie Esq, the approval for the constitution of the Governing Council was given by the state governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki in furtherance of the efforts of the state government to reposition all the tertiary institutions in the state and to transform them into world-class institutions of learning.
Another prominent Edo North person who made the seven-man list is Bishop G. E. Dunai, the Archbishop of the Auchi Dioceses.
Other members of the Council include Prof. Bob Osaze, Dr. Ifueko Omogui, Prof Felix Okieimen, Prof. Ahmed Uwubamwen, and Mr. Asue Ighodalo.
In particular, the statement said the governor acted based on his role as the Visitor and also in consonance with the relevant laws that set up the institution.
The statement read, “The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, in line with the provisions of the Edo State University Law of 2014 and the Edo State University Amendment Law of 2016, has approved the constitution of the Governing Council of the University”.
The Edo State University, unlike its counterpart, the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, both fully state-owned, has been operating for a while without a Governing Council, a situation most described as an “anomaly” given the Council’s critical role in providing vision and direction and also acting as a lid on financial recklessness.
By acting promptly to constitute the Council of the University and not allowing the situation to either degenerate or linger for too long, the state government has once again proven the premium it places on education.
Even though the statement issued by the office of the SSG on the constitution of the University’s Governing Council was silent on the date of inauguration, there is, however, some glimmer of hope that the inauguration of the Council will take place soon.
