Akwa Ibom wants state varsity to support govt ICT programme

Akwa Ibom State has called on the University of Uyo Governing Council to key into the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) drive of the state government in order to expand the knowledge base of students in the area of ICT. Governor Godswill Akpabio made the call recently, when the Pro-Chancellor of the University Governing Council, Prof. Kimse Okoko, paid him a courtesy visit at the government house.

He said: "I will like you to see how the University ICT department can key into what we are doing at the state level. We have built the first e-library in West Africa with over 70 million e-books downloadable. I look forward to signing an MoU with you so that periodically your students will come and learn."

He commended the University management for maintaining full accreditation status in all courses offered in the University, and implored them to maintain the status quo.

On the incident, which led to destruction of schools property and death of a student in the institution, Akpabio expressed surprise at such wanton destruction of an institution by students, described the fracas as man inhumanity to man. "That was a shock to me. I do not think any provocation on earth should have led people to want to destroy established institution, just like the students did."

"It is also important to look inward at what could have caused the crisis. You must look at your admission policy because I understand that a lot of fake admissions were given out to students and some of them stayed there for three years and getting to the point they were to graduate, the university would ask them to withdraw" the governor said.

He advised that screening process should start from year one, and that students not qualified should not stay up to two semesters before they are shown the way out. "Some have stayed in your campus for over four years before being shown the way out and that way they would turn their anger and vengeance on the university," he added.

Akpabio thanked the Pro-Chancellor for acknowledging the state government's effort in developing the institution and the management of the University for prudent management of funds that the state government released to it, promising to continue to partner and take University of Uyo to an enviable height.

Okoko commended the governor for distinguishing himself as a true representative of the people of Niger Delta and for continuously supporting the development of the institution.

Okoko listed some problems faced by the institution to include lack of peri- meter fence, trespass of the school land by original owners and erosion menace, among others, even as he solicited the assistance of the state government in this direction.

"I want to be considerate because you have been nice to us and I know that you have many competing demands to contend with. Let me end up by saying, yes your development is truly an uncommon transformation. It marks you out as true representative of the people of the Niger Delta," he said.