The University of Uyo (UNIUYO) Governing Council has been urged to key into the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) drive of Akwa Ibom Government in the expansion of knowledge base of their students in the area.

Governor Godswill Akpabio made the call Wednesday when the Pro-Chancellor of the University Governing Council, Prof. Kimse Okoko paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office, Uyo. “I will like you to see how the University ICT department can key into what we are doing at the state level,” the governor said. “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, the governor expressed his amazement at such wanton destruction of an institution by students, saying: “I visited the institution to see what I call man inhumanity to man. That was a shock to me. I don’t think any provocation on earth should have led people to want to destroy institution like the kind of things they 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.

“Let the screening process start from year one. People should not stay up to two semesters before they are shown the way out so that they may not turn to a menace. 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.”

Chief 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 the state government released to it, promising to continue to partner and take University of Uyo to an enviable height.

Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Kimse Okoko had commended Governor Akpabio 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 perimeter fence, trespass of the school land by original owners and erosion menace, among others, soliciting 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 remarked.

•Photo shows Gov. Akpabio (left), Pro-chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof. Kimse Okoko (middle), and Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Comfort Ekpo (right), during a courtesy call at the Governor’s Office, Uyo.

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