The Obong of Calabar, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reconstitute and appoint the governing council of public universities since tenures of some principal officers of many universities are coming to an end.
The monarch, who is the chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), spoke in Abeokuta, weekend, during FUNAAB 30th convocation ceremony.
He also commended the president’s determination, courage and boldness in dealing with the myriad of challenges facing the country, and assured him of support.
The Obong said the reconstitution of FUNNAB board, in particular, was necessary “as the tenures of both the registrar and bursar are coming to an end and there must be a board in place to normalise the functioning of the university.
“Soon after his assumption of duties, the new vice-chancellor was confronted with the dissolution of boards by the new Federal Government Administration which meant he had no chairman or pro-chancellor to work with.”
The monarch further appealed to President Tinubu to restore the university’s courses in the erstwhile College of Management Sciences, now known as College of Entrepreneurial and Development Studies which, he said, were delisted under the immediate past administration.
He said: “The college was established to allow greater access to higher education by the ever-increasing number of eligible candidates who are unable to access higher education due to insufficient admission spaces in the federal universities.
The Obong of Calabar also played host to three traditional rulers in the state, who visited him at his lodge within the university campus.
The monarchs were Olu of Ilaro, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Saka Matemilola and the Ajalaye of Ilogun south, Ijebu North.east, Oba Emmanuel Olusanu.
