The Nation Newspaper

Tag: University of Uyo (UNIUYO)

  • Gov Emmanuel opens UNIUYO arts gallery in honour of mother in-law

    Gov Emmanuel opens UNIUYO arts gallery in honour of mother in-law

    Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom has commissioned an arts gallery in the University of Uyo ( UNIUYO ) in honour of his mother in-law, Late Professor (Mrs.) Stella Idiong.

    Late Mrs. Idiong was the first female professor of Fine and Industrial Arts in the country, hence the building of the arts gallery by her family to   showcase her works.

    The gallery was built ten years after her death as a memorial, to also showcase her works and promote art in the institution.

    Speaking at the Main campus of the University, Governor Emmanuel commended the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Enefiok Essien for allowing the sponsors of the gallery build the arts center in the school.

    He promised to connect the gallery to the power source from the national grid.

    He said, “I also want to thank you for the peace in the campus. Not all campuses are as peaceful as the UNIUYO. Whenever you see peace of this nature, it is leadership. Let me thank the members of this committee that put up the fine and international work here, the family, and everybody.

    “I thank the University community for giving us the space, the Vice Chancellor, Senate and the entire governing council of this university for this honour done to a great woman, who touched lives, who meant so much to a lot of people who are living and can still bear testimony to the quality of life that she lived. 

    “In memory of the first ever female Professor of Fine and Industrial Arts in this country and the first ever female dean of the University of Uyo, Late Prof. Mrs Stella Idiong, I commission this Arts gallery to the glory of God the Father, and I pray this will serve as a resource centre for industrial arts, and people that will study here will make meaning into this country and into the continent at large.”

    Also speaking, wife of the governor, Mrs. Martha Emmanuel, who is also a daughter of the late professor said the gallery was built to satisfy the longing of family member to immortalize the late Idiong, and promote the achievement of students in the University.

    She described her mother as “an artist, a great teacher who distinguished herself in a seemingly male dominated career; who also exhibited discipline and love in her motherly role to us and a pillar of support to her husband despite her academic attainment”, and appealed that the gallery be maintained.

    Continuing she said, “Today, on behalf of my siblings and family, we stand here to fulfill a longing in our hearts to immortalize our role model, our shining star, a one in a million mother by providing the University of Uyo the first of its kind Art gallery which I believe will support innovation, encourage exhibition by showcasing the achievement of students in the University.

    “It is my hope that this gallery will facilitate collaboration between the teachers and students. By establishing this arts gallery, we have established an enabling environment for the development of painting, sculpture as well as developing the graduates of this department for social and economic gains”.

  • IYC condemns killing, violence in NANS election

    IYC condemns killing, violence in NANS election

    The Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide, Tuesday, condemned in strong terms, the killing of a final year law student in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, during the Zone B election of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS).

    The victim, Magam Elvis, a student of the University of Uyo (UNIUYO) was shot dead by suspected rival cultists, who came as delegates for the election that was held at the premises of the Federal University of Otuoke (FUO).

    Other victims sustained various degrees of injuries as rival cult groups engaged in a supremacy battle wielding guns, machetes, axes and other weapons.

    The Commissioner of Police, Mr. Asuquo Amba, arrested some of the suspects with arms including the Bayelsa State President of NANS, Mr. Perewari Benjamin and vowed to prosecute them.

    But the Chairman of IYC, Central Zone, Mr. Tari Porri, said the council would not allow anybody to destabilise the existing peace in the zone, which covers Bayelsa and parts of Rivers State.

    Porri, who frowned on the trend of students bearing arms in the name of cultism, described the violence in the NANS election as an aberration and embarrassment to the real essence of education.

    He said: “The IYC under my leadership in this zone will not tolerate activities relating to cult wars or inter-communal crisis. We will not tolerate anybody coming to disturb the already existing peace in the state.

    “If anyone is found wanting, we will mobilise the entire law-abiding Ijaw youths against the person. Youths should be law-abiding. They should not partake in organisations that will not bring honour to the state or organisation that will bring disrepute to the ijawland”.

    While advising the youths to identify with meaningful ventures that would bring joy and progress to the Ijaw nation, Porri, said no election was worth the life of any youth.

    “We are appealing to the entire youths in the central zone to be law-abiding and to be serious with their lives instead of engaging in vices that will destroy them.

    “Look at a young man who was just killed, a promising young man, a law student from the university of Uyo. The gains and aspirations of that young man had been cut short”, he said.

    Porri wondered the fate of the country where an organisation like NANS hitherto reputable for moulding talents and careers of youths had become a safe haven for criminals and cultists.

    He said: “We were all parts of NANS. When we were playing active NANS politics, we would shout and scatter things but you would never see a student beating and slapping another student much less handling weapons to kill.

    “This time around, young boys of 15 to 20 years will be moving about with guns. Some persons were also arrested because guns were found in their vehicles.  We say no to this because it is an aberration.

    “As the leader of Ijaw youth central zone, I appeal to students to stay clear of cultism and other activities that will destroy them and bring disrepute to the Ijaw nation”.

  • ASUU protests salary cuts, increasing mortality rate of members

    ASUU protests salary cuts, increasing mortality rate of members

    The Calabar Zone of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has protested the reduction of subventions to the universities for the payment of personnel emolument since December 2015.

    The Union also decried a spike in the mortality rate among university workers in the past year, saying the deaths “may not be unconnected these strangulating cuts in salaries.”

    The Calabar Zone of ASUU consists of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH), University of Uyo (UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom State University (AKSU), Ebonyi State University (EBSU) and Abia State University (ABSU) Branches.

    Addressing reporters in Calabar Monday, the Coordinator of the Zone, Prof Nsing Ogar, lamented that the situation has resulted in the incomplete payment of salaries, non-implementation of promotion, non-remittance of statutory deductions to unions, co-operative societies and creditor banks with which staff have commitments.

    Ogar, in the company of the chairmen of UNICAL, CRUTECH and UNIUYO Branches, Dr Tony Eyang, Dr Emmanuel Ettah and Dr Aniekan Brown, respectively, said the shortfalls which vary from institution to institution run into hundreds of millions for some and tens of millions for others.

    He said, “Fragments of salaries have been paid staff, with some universities paying between 80 and 90 per cent from December 2105 to January 2017. As if to dramatise its insensitivity to the plight of workers in the academia, the government cut February salary by about 30 per cent in what appears to be a determined onslaught to knock off oxygen from the university system.

    “This anomaly has thrown university workers into unprecedented agony, difficulties and embarrassment as if the already existing harsh economic realities and soaring inflation in the country were not enough. The persistent shortfalls, and now deeper cuts in salaries have mincemeat of the struggles of academics, killed incentive and dampened morale.

    “State universities are not left out of this regrettable situation as their visitors have developed the unhealthy penchant of releasing grossly inadequate subventions resulting in the payment of only net salaries without the remittance of deductions to unions and cooperative societies.

    “There has been a lot of agitation, outrage and anger from members of the Union, with the leadership coming under immense pressure. This has nit augured well fostering an atmosphere for meaningful activities on university campuses. To think that workers’ productivity can be divorced from their welfare is a regrettable fallacy.

    “While expressing our frustration at government’s failure to see the need to address this problem with its wide ramifications, we are heavily disappointed that the governing councils of the universities have been at best phlegmatic, and at worst indifferent, towards taking serious steps to salvage the situation and avert the looming catastrophe.

    “ASUU categorically condemns and rejects the cruel and sustained attempts to emasculate and humiliate academics, and is resolved to challenge in any form this monumental injustice and slavery, now posing an existential threat to intellectual workers.

    “We call on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Federal Government to stop this unprovoked attack on the academia by releasing full monthly subventions to universities and the backlog of shortfalls owed them.

    “For the avoidance of doubt, out Unions National Executive Council will not shirk its moral and historic responsibility of taking firm and decisive action in this unjust situation is not satisfactory addressed before its meeting on March 25 and 26, 2017.”

     

  • Police Command parades 2 arms dealers, 7 other criminals

    Police Command parades 2 arms dealers, 7 other criminals

    The Akwa Ibom State Command of the Nigeria Police Force has paraded  a group of nine suspected criminals for various criminal involvements including gun running.

    The parade was done at the State Command headquarters at Ikot Akpan Abia area, Uyo, the State capital by the State Police Commissioner, CP Murtala Mani.

    Emmanuel Akamaba aged 38 and Ezekiel Adie aged 35, were among the nine suspects paraded at the police headquarters for their involvement in gun running.

    The commissioner, CP Mani told journalists that the paraded suspects were arrested by operatives of the command at various locations in the state during stop and search operations on highways and roads.

    CP Mani said Stop and Search exercise is one the proactive measures taken by the command to rid the Akwa Ibom state of criminal elements.

    According to him, two suspects, Emmanuel Akamaba  and Ezekiel Adie both from Ogoja in Cross River state were arrested with four locally-made pistols along Calabar/Itu Highway by Safer Highway Patrol team who carried out a search on the vehicle which they traveled with.

    In their confessional statement, both Emmanuel and Ezekiel admitted to the crime. “When the police stopped us at their Check Point in Itu, and searched the vehicle we boarded, they discovered the four pistols in our traveling bag. We were going to sell the guns to our agent in Bayelsa at the cost of N100,000.00 each. We bought the guns from the manufacturer in Benue state and we have been in the business for about a year now.”

    However, CP Mani who was represented by the state public relations officer (PPRO) of the command, ASP Cordelia Nwawe said that among the paraded suspects was one Blessing Effiong Ambrose who was arrested for human trafficking.

    Blessing was allegedly arrested by the Patrol team stationed along Oron-Mbo Highway who intercepted a white colour Toyota Hiace commuter bus with registration number Lagos – JJJ454 XD which Blessing was among the passengers and were travelling from Oron in Akwa Ibom state to Lagos state.

    Among the passengers in the bus were six children aged between five and fifteen who were victims of child trafficking by Blessing who was taking them to buyers in Lagos state. The children were however rescued and handed over to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID) in Uyo for investigations, the ASP Nwawe stated.

    Also paraded were those who robbed worshippers of a Presbyterian Church at Okopedi Itiam village, along Uyo – Ekim Itam Highway, those who were caught with three stolen Perkins sound proof generators purportedly removed from the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), those who were caught with stolen power transformer and other electrical  appliances on the way to Lagos from Uyo.

    Police said upon proper investigations into the crimes, all those found involved would be prosecuted accordingly.

    CP Mani called on members of the public, especially commercial vehicle drivers to always check the luggage of passengers to ascertain the contents before carrying them.

    He also warned that the command would not condone crime of any kind in the state, therefore parents should warn their children and wards against keeping bad friends or indulging in crime.

    The Police Command appeals to members of the public to bear with the Police when they are asked to stop for a brief check, that it is done for the overall good of all.