The Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, Ogun State, the Bong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, has appealed to the Visitor to the university, President Muhammadu Buhari, to as a matter of urgency, reconstitutes the university’s Governing Council.
In a statement signed by FUNAAB’s Head, Directorate of Public Relations, Amb. Kola Adepoju, FICA, JP, the Chancellor was quoted to have implored the President to ensure that the Governing Board of FUNAAB is urgently reconstituted, while speaking at the 28th and 29th combined convocation ceremonies of FUNAAB.
Addressing the gathering of graduands, top government officials, FUNAAB principal officers and members of the university community, as well as well-wishers at the Oluwafemi Balogun Ceremonial Building, the royal father noted that since the exit of the 6th Governing Council on 6th May, 2021, FUNAAB has been operating without a Governing Council.
Edidem Abasi-Otu added that the situation is the same with all other Universities of Agriculture in the country.
He said reconstitution of Governing Council became necessary since the tenure of the principal ifficers of the institution: the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Kolawole Salako, the Registrar, Dr. Bola Adekola and the Bursar, Mr. Chikwuwinke Ezekpeazu, will end this year and the process of appointing new ones will follow immediately.
The monarch, while appreciating the Federal Government for the partial restoration of courses in the College of Management Sciences, which were delisted about six years ago, appealed for full restoration of all the other management courses, so that the teeming population of youths far and near will have access to tertiary education through these courses.
Giving further explanation, the Obong explained that the establishment of the said College was borne out of the call for diversification of academic programmes in specialised universities with the assurance to retain courses in agriculture as the flagship in Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta.
The Obong said, “The existence of the College of Entrepreneurial Studies is to add value to what we are doing because of the strong inter-relationship between agriculture and management.”
Appreciating the President for approving his reappointment as the Chancellor of FUNAAB for another term, the Chancellor said that it was a rare privilege that he will never take for granted.
Speaking further, the Chancellor commended the Vice-Chancellor and his management team for doing very well in placing the university on the right path to academic excellence.
He said, “I am proud to say that since my appointment as the Chancellor of this great university, FUNAAB has grown from strength to strength. Certainly, the sky is the limit for this citadel of learning to continue to wax stronger.”
While expressing his appreciation to the Federal Government for the increase in the capital budgets which has enabled the university to undertake the construction of a dam to promote irrigation and water provision for the university community, the Chancellor requested for better funding, especially to cater for the overhead expenditure of the university.
Addressing the face-off between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the Obong said, “There is an urgent need for the Federal Government to have fulfilled engagements with all the university-based staff unions to stem the tide of incessant industrial strikes and unrests, which seem to have become a relay race in the university system in Nigeria.”
