Better days are here, FUNAAB Chancellor assures

The Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) and the Obong of Calabar, His Eminence, Edidem Ekpo Okon Abasi-Otu V, has assured members of the University community that better days are here.

His Eminence gave the promise during the visit of University Management to the monarch in his palace in Calabar, Cross River State recently.

Leading the team was the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ololade Enikuomehin, who intimated the Royal Father on the state of affairs in the university, as well as preparations towards his investiture as the fourth Chancellor of the university.

The monarch disclosed that he was indeed delighted that FUNAAB had overcome its internal challenges and that the current administration, led by the Acting Vice-Chancellor, was settling down fast, while urging the University Management to ensure speedy reconciliatory efforts, aimed at restoring enduring peace on campus.

The Chancellor, who expressed his joy that the university was now under the direct supervision of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMA&RD), noted that running of programmes in the College of Management Sciences (COLMAS) of the university was a good initiative, which should not be scrapped.

“Your management science programme is a good initiative. We cannot do away with it. We will sit down with the relevant stakeholders and discuss, with a view to returning the courses back to your institution”, he stated.

The Obong of Calabar expressed his support for the Federal Government’s move to diversify the nation’s economy and return to agriculture, saying the sector holds the key to unlock the various potentials God had endowed the country with.

He added that graduates from universities of agriculture such as FUNAAB, were expected to be employers of labour because they should have been properly equipped with the skills and competencies that were required to be successful farmers and entrepreneurs.

The Acting Vice-Chancellor lauded the desire of some members of the Etubom Traditional Council to partner FUNAAB on agricultural initiatives such as student exchange programmes that could contribute to raising the bar of excellence in the University and also improving the economy of Nigeria.

At the occasion, the chiefs made useful contributions that could bring about positive transformation of the university.

They further noted that Nigeria had always paid lip service to agriculture and that practical implementation of agricultural policies had left much to be desired, calling on Nigerians to go back to farming