The Nation Newspaper

Tag: AAU

  • Obaseki to be installed AAU visitor Saturday

    All  is set at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma in Edo State, for installation of Governor Godwin Obaseki as a Visitor during the institution’s 21st convocation on Saturday.

    Its Vice-Chancellor, Prof Ignatius Onimawo, said at a pre-convocation  briefing that four persons, including Chairman of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Mr. Tony Elumelu, and CEO of Ray Royal Construction Company, Bishop Matthew Okpebholo, would be conferred with honorary degrees.

    He said 10 out of the 2,395 graduands to the awarded various degrees bagged First Class.

    He added that a backlog of over 17,000 certificates inherited from past administrations had been processed  for collection.

    “In the last one year, this university has embarked on initiatives to improve processes and procedures of teaching, learning and administration  to cope and be relevant in the face of  global challenges and dynamic technological advances.

    “Our university has made several giant strides that have positioned it in better light in the comity of universities.  I am happy to announce that as at today, we have improved in all the criteria by which we were ranked as the best state university in Nigeria,” he said

     

  • EFCC arrests FUTA, AAU students for alleged N16m internet scam

    EFCC arrests FUTA, AAU students for alleged N16m internet scam

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibadan Zonal Office has arrested five suspected undergraduate scammers for about N16million Internet fraud.

    They are four from the Federal University of Technology Akure, (FUTA) and another from  Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba ,  (AAUA).

    A statement by the Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren said the suspects were arrested   at  an Off- Campus residence  located at Anuoluwapo Close, Stateline Hotel Road, off FUTA South Gate, Akure, Ondo.

    The statement said: “ The fraudsters who are between 20 and 23 years of age include: Adeleke Paul (21),  Adebiyi Tayo Abudu (22) , Akinsanmi Olusola Adeniyi (21), Ogundile Ademola James (23) and Okali Ugochukwu (21).

    “The commission got wind of their activities through series of intelligence.  Paul and his co-travelers, who go about with the name Tsunnami Gang and Young Pablo Money allegedly swindled unsuspecting foreigners and others to the tune of N16million recently.

    “The suspected fraudsters engaged in fraudulent activities of obtaining money by false pretences through scam mails.

    “Paul is a penultimate final year’s student of Building Technology while James and Olusola are both 400 level students of Agricultural Resources and Mathematics respectively.

    “Okali is a 200 level student of Urban and Regional Planning, while Adebiyi Tayo is a 300 level Student of Mathematics of the Adekunle Ajasin University. Akungba, Ondo State.

    “At the point of arrest, EFCC operatives recovered a 2006, black Toyota highlander with registration number(Lagos)  LND 112 EG,  2010 light- green Toyota Camry (Muscle) registration number (Lagos) AAA 850 EF, laptops, three Apple iphone6 and three Blackberry phones from them.

    “Some implicating documents were also found and downloaded from their laptops.

    They are to be arraigned in court as soon as investigation is completed.”

     

  • Amen for AAU 52nd Inaugural Lecture

    THE Provost of the College of Education, Ekiadolor, Benin, Prof Amen Uhunmwangho, will deliver the 52nd inaugural lecture of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma today.

    The lecture with the theme: The politics of Language,will start at 2pm with the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof C. A. Agbebaku as chief host.

    Uhunmwangho, a professor of English, also said that over 17 students of the College of Education, Ekiadolor, have been expelled between 2009 and 2015 for various offences including cultism.

    Speaking through the public relations officer of the institution, Rev. D. E. Agbonwaneten said 18 students were also suspended indefinitely for cult related activities in 2013.

    Meanwhile, the college recently filled about 100 vacant positions.

     

  • AAU prof abducted, killed by in-law, say police

    AAU prof abducted, killed by in-law, say police

    •72 suspects paraded

    There were more details yesterday on how a Professor of Agricultural Economics and Extension at the Ambrose Alli University (AAU) at Ekpoma, Edo State, Prof. Paul Erie, was killed by his abductors.

    The late expert was said to have suffocated to death when his abductors tied his nose to prevent him from making noise.

    The police said the suspected mastermind of Prof. Erie’s abduction is one of his in-laws, Lucky Ameyi (aka Nigga).

    It was learnt that Ameyi and his six-man gang abducted Prof. Erie on June 16.

    After a three-month search, the police were said to have got information on the suspected abductors, following the release of three Chinese.

    The decomposing body of Prof. Erie was exhumed on October 1 and the mastermind was reportedly arrested in Lagos State.

    Ameyi told reporters yesterday that he would have released Prof. Erie, if he knew they were in-laws.

    The suspected gang leader said he had participated in several kidnappings.

    Those paraded included 14 suspects who specialised in vandalising telecommunication mast, a “notorious” kidnap leader, Charles Ohwofase, who has been implicated in several abduction cases, and 20 teenagers, who were caught during initiated into a suspected cult group, the Osundu Confraternity.

    Items the police recovered from the suspects included two AK-47 rifles, one revolver pistol, two pump action gun, 14 locally-made guns, 150 rounds of 7.62mm, 130 live cartridges, 20 KVA generating sets, one 100KVA generating set; N149,000 cash and six vehicles.

    Police Commissioner Chris Ezike said 72 suspects were arrested in the last six weeks.

    He said three of the suspects died in a shootout with the police.

    The police chief advised the residents to give more support to the police.

  • AAU harps on funding, standard

    The President, Association of African Universities (AAU) Prof Olusola Oyewole, has restated the call for better funding and academic standards for universities in Africa.

    Oyewole noted that the quality of teaching and research in such institutions remain a challenge leading to students and staff unrest, poor infrastructure and migration of talented academics to developed countries.

    Oyewole, who is also the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, was represented by the immediate past Dean, College of Plant Science and Crop Production (COLPLANT), Prof Goke Bodunde, at the first Soils of Forest Islands in Africa (SOFIIA) workshop.

    The event, held in the university was themed: “Scientific methods and communication, scientific proposals and ecosystems of Africa.”

     

     

    He lamented that despite the African Union’s commitment to the allocation of at least, one per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of its member countries to Research and Development (R & D), only very few countries had complied, resulting in low research publications.

     

  • Lorry crushes AAU student to death

    There was tragedy on Thursday along Uhumudumu Road in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, when a young girl suspected to be a student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, was crushed to death by a lorry.

    Crowd of sympathizers gathered at the scene to catch a glimpse of what happened while vehicular traffic was on a stand still for several hours.

    An eyewitness account revealed that a motorcycle popularly known as Okada carrying the young girl was trying to overtake another Okada when they collided with each another and the girl who was a passenger in one of the affected motorcycles fell on the road and was crushed to death by the moving Tipper.

    Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Iruekpen Division, who were on ground to ease traffic flow later took the lifeless body of the young girl to a nearby mortuary.

  • AAU President counsels varsities

    The President of the Association of African Universities (AAU) and Vice-Chancellor, FUNAAB, Prof Olusola Oyewole, has challenged universities in the country to be well-positioned to contribute their quota to the socio-economic transformation of the nation, like FUNAAB.

    Oyewole said FUNAAB has positioned itself well by maintaining a tradition of excellence – evident in the quality of its graduates, as well as being made a World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Agriculture.

    He also said FUNAAB is favoured by many admission seekers, including international students, many of whom have won scholarship to study in the university.  He spoke of plans to started a Distance Learning Programme to meet the demand for access to university education.

     

  • How AAU can grow, by NUC

    How AAU can grow, by NUC

    The National Universities Commission (NUC), has outlined measures to be taken for the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, to grow.

    It said the management of the 35-year-old university should pay attention to quality of its workers, facilities and intake of students as well as the environment where teaching and learning take place.

    Executive Secretary of NUC, Prof. Julius Okojie, said this at the 19th convocation of the university held last Saturday.

    Okojie, who was represented by Deputy Executive Secretary, Prof. Chiedu Mafiana, urged the institution to judiciously utilise funds it gets through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

    He said funds from TETFund should be used to build commodious buildings and invest in research and staff development.

    Okojie called for the construction of more hostels within the campus through the ‘Build, Operate and Transfer’ system to solve accommodation problems of students.

    Warning students to check approved programmes with the commission before applying to universities, Okojie said any student that studies in unapproved programmes would not be mobilised for NYSC and the certificates not recognised for the purpose of unemployment.

    On his part, Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State, said the institution’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, has turned around the fortunes of the university.

    He said: “I have a fair recollection of the state of this university before Prof. Cordelia took over affairs of the university. The worst critic of this VC will agree that he has run this university effectively. Cordelia has given her own to the university that made her with very meager resources.

    “Before she took over as the Vice Chancellor, it was either one problem of students’ riot to staff protests.  But she has demonstrated uncommon courage, fearlessness, prudence and accountability in managing the university’s fund and brought in so much peace and stability.”

    Those honoured by the university included Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, (Doctor of Letters) and business mogul, Chief Lee Ikpea, who bagged the Doctor of Business Administration degree.

    Founder of Believers Love World, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome who was to be honoured with a degree of Doctor of Science, was absent but a special event would be organised for him at a later day.

    A N5billion endowment fund was launched at the ceremony.

     

  • AAU to honour Oyakhilome, others

    AAU to honour Oyakhilome, others

    •First VC is first Professor Emeritus

    Founder, Believers Love World (BLW) popularly known as Christ Embassy, Pastor Chris Oyakhilome, is to be conferred with a honorary doctorate by the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University, his alma mater.

    Pastor Oyakhilome would be honoured with the Doctor of Science at the 19th Convocation of the university on Saturday.

    Others to be honoured are Chief David Edebiri, the Esogban of Benin Kingdom, who would be honoured with Doctor of Letter, and business mogul, Chief Lee Ikpea, who will bag the Doctor of Business Administration.

    Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, who announced this at a pre-convocation  briefing, said a former Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. John Osemeikhian, would be installed as the first Emeritus Professor of the institution.

    Agbebaku said a total of 8,167 graduands from the 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 academic sessions would be presented with certificates, first degrees and higher degrees during the event.

    The VC said Prof. Gregory Akenzua would be installed as the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council of the university.

    She ruled out arsonists’ attack on fire that gutted some of the university buildings recently, blaming it on electrical surge.

  • Varsity debunks NANS’ allegations

    Varsity debunks NANS’ allegations

    The authorities of the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State have refuted a media report, which alleged that the university is in crisis.

    They described it as a tissue of lies cooked up by mischief makers to misinform the public.

    A national newspaper on Monday published a story from a statement purportedly signed by the Vice-President, External Affairs of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Peculiar Asemota, on behalf of NANS, appealing to the Federal Government to intervene, to avert alleged crisis in the university.

    The report also quoted the NANS vice-president as alleging that the present acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Cordelia Agbebaku, was under-performing and unqualified to hold the position.

    But the university in a rejoinder by its spokesman Sir Chris Adaamaigbo, dismissed the allegation, saying the institution was not experiencing any crisis, which would warrant the intervention of the Federal Ministry of Education or the National Universities Commission (NUC).

    Contrary to Asemota’s allegation, the rejoinder said the university had witnessed growth and development since the appointment of the acting vice chancellor, adding that she had received commendations from stakeholders, including NANS.

    The statement said it was regrettable that Asemota could descend to the level of allowing herself to be used by mischief makers to distort facts for selfish interest.