Senate Minority leader, Chief Godswill Akpabio has been; installed as the first Chancellor of Ritman University, Ikot Ekpene, Akwa Ibom State.
Chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees, Senator Effiong Bob, Performed the installation, assisted by the National Universities Commissioner[NUC] Executive Secretary,Prof . Adamu Abubakar Rasheed, on Thursday 12th April, 2018.
Prof Rasheed, who was represented by the commission’s Director of inspection and Monitoring, Mrs Essien Otu Usendia, said that Ritman University has since its inception in 2015 adhered to all extant policies of the NUC in line with best practices, and has not been; involved in any governance or administrative mess.
He disclosed that Ritman is the 137th university to be; approved, 57th private university, and one of Nigeria’s 162 universities- 41 federal, 47 state and 74 private.
Prof- Chancellor and chairman of Ritman University Governing Council,Prof Nsongurua Udombana, explained that chancellors, apart from being ceremonial or titular head are political or titular heads are political representatives of universities to the wider world and that by this university law, a chancellor has to be; a highly respected and prominent member of the society who has interest in promoting academic excellence.
He said Akpabio fits this description after waging an aggressive war on illiteracy during his tenure as Governor Of Akwa Ibom State.
Udombana commended the Vice Chancellor and his staff for demonstrating’the sacrificial spirit that causes great things to happen and appealed for public support to make the university an institution of the first choice.
In his acceptance speech, the new Chancellor, Senator Akpabio foresaw Ritman university becoming; a prominent centre for research and development; in the mould Harvard and declared it as shinning a great shouldering fire lighting of knowledge.
He said every child should be; made to run to school rather than run from school as he was; chased away from school at; childhood for not having money to pay his fees.
Akpabio also noted that the university is; strategically located in Ikot Ekpene, which was the first centre of local government administration in Nigeria.
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