Imo govt committee recommends downgrade of varsities established by Okoroha to satellite campuses

Imo state government has taken over the Eastern Palm University Ogboko in the Ideato South council area of the state, and converted it to a campus of the Imo State University, Owerri housing the faculties of Management and Social Sciences.

This is according to the recommendations of a 7-man committee inaugurated by the state government to investigate the statuses of newly established tertiary institutions in the state by the departed Rochas Okorocha administration.

Speaking at a press briefing in Owerri on Wednesday, the chairman of the committee, Jude Njoku, said that the institution, although recognized by the National Universities Commission as the second state university in Imo, should not be allowed to stay in view of the lean resources of the state.

He also recommended the setting of up a judicial panel to ascertain the authenticity of the ownership of the institution. Njoku added that the committee establish a prima facie that the institution was established with state funds.

READ ALSO: Wukari Federal University shut indefinitely following students’ protest

Njoku also advised that both the Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Aboh/Okpala and the University of Science and Technology, Umuna should remain campuses of the Imo State University Owerri.

While Aboh/Okpala would be the campus for agriculture and veterinary medicine, Njoku said that Umuna would be for Engineering as earlier conceived.

To accomplish its assignment, Professor Njoku, also a former commissioner for Education in the state said that the committee first invited and interacted with all the key actors in the process of establishing these institutions which included members of the project implementation committee set up by the immediate past governor of the state, those appointed Vice Chancellors, Rectors and Provosts of these institutions.

Njoku opined that the government might wish to upgrade these campuses to full-fledged universities and polytechnics as the need and resource might dictate and permit.

He recommended the termination of the appointments of all the Vice Chancellors, Rectors, principal officials and members of the governing councils of the newly established tertiary institutions while all the properties belonging to such institutions be recovered.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now