Rivers State Governor Chibuike Amaechi has reassured Rivers people that his administration would continue to provide quality education.
Governor Amaechi spoke at the inauguration of members of the reconstituted Governing Council of the State-owned Rivers State University of Science and Technology, (RSUST), at the banquet hall, Government House, Port Harcourt, recently. He was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr George Feyii.
The Governor said his administration is committed to education and is going to do all that it could to ensure that it guarantees the quality of education that will enable the citizens, our people, our students who pass through that institution stand anywhere and be able to hold on to their own and be proud that they passed through the institution”.
“So as this Governing Council is being put in place today, the charge we give you is to ensure that never again should that institution (RSUST) see those days that we knew we were unable to score on two critical measurement criteria of character and learning and whatever has been achieved we should build on it and achieve greater heights for the benefit of all of us and for us to be able to say we are bequeathing what is worthwhile to the generation that we are producing. Nothing less will be expected”.
According to the Secretary to the State Government, the RSUST under its Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Barineme Fakae has commendably climbed up to 19thposition in world ranking of Nigerian Universities when the RSUST four years before was in 76th position.
He commended the university’s authority for also stamping out cultism from the university which has positively affected students on learning and character building.
Members of the reconstituted Governing Council for the RSUST are Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte (Rtd), Pro-Chancellor, Engr. Claude Dienye, member, Mr Uche Olowu, member, Barr. Isaac Kamalu, member, Mrs Esther Anucha, member.
Other members include Dr Constance Saronwiyo, Chief Timothy E. N. Amaehule, Rev (Dr) Harry Gillis O. T. and Mr Anthony Enyidia.
Speaking on behalf of the others, RSUST’s Pro-Chancellor, Justice Karibi-Whyte (Rtd) pledged that the Governing Council would in collaboration with other stakeholders consolidate current achievements of the institution.
In an interview, RSUST’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Fakae who was recently re-appointed by Governor Chibuike Amaechi who is Visitor to the University, pledged to further promote a digital culture at the university.
He said the Rivers State Government thought well to have established a state university at a time other state governments never thought about establishing their own state universities.
On accreditation of programmes and the university’s current ranking, Prof Fakae said, “of recent we have gotten all our programmes accredited including for the two programmes that were pending, Land Survey and Architecture which means this year we are admitting people in all programmes meaning all our programmes are now accredited”.
“But the latest is what has happened that the University (RSUST) all this while had been at the bottom of the ladder about 76 in world ranking of Nigerian Universities but today we are recorded as number 19 of all these universities”.
