Ortom names new BSU VC

From Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

Governor Samuel Ortom has approved the appointment of Prof. Tor Iorapuu as the new Vice Chancellor of Benue State University (BSU).

This was contained in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State government (SSG) Prof. Tony Ijoho and released to reporters in Makurdi.

The Nation gathered that three names, Iorapuu, Tarhule Vitalis, and Prof. Omudu Agbo, were submitted to the visitor by the Governing Council from the initial seven professors that passed examination.

The tenure of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Msugh Kembe ends on November 3.

In appointing the new Vice-Chancellor, academic, professional and political considerations were taken into consideration.

Apart from his academic and professional qualifications, Iorapuu is believed to have been politically advantaged having contested the 2019 PDP governorship primaries against Ortom.

With Ortom’s rumoured senatorial ambition in 2023, there is the need to balance political equation of zoning among MINDA, a group of Tiv people spread in Benue Northwest senatorial zone.

While Ortom hails Guma Local Government Area, Iorapuu is from Gwer East Council, and it was easy for the governor to read the handwriting on the wall and go for Iorapuu to brighten his 2023 senatorial chance.

Iorapuu hails from Aliade in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State.

He attended Government College and College of Education, all in Katsina-Ala, Benue State; and the University of Jos, where he studied Theatre Arts up to the PhD level.

He has served his alma mater as a member of Faculty. A professor in the Department of Theatre and Film Arts, he was also Dean, Faculty of Arts, University of Jos.

Iorapuu has done a lot of work on Theatre for Development (TfD) right from his days at the College of Education, Katsina-Ala, until his days at UNIJOS before he was on Sabbatical at BSU.

The Professor of Applied and Social Theatre also runs the Youth, Adolescent, Reflection and Action Centre (YARAC) in Jos.