By: Felix Ikpotor
As a mark of commitment towards the quick take-off of the recently approved Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland by President Bola Tinubu, the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has approved the hand over of the Kira Campus of the Rivers State University (RSU) for the school to begin.
Fubara announced the approval during a facility tour of the Kira Campus of RSU located in Tai Local Government Area.
The governor who was conducted round the campus by the Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof Okogbule Nlerum, Tai Council Chairman, Matthew Dike and a former Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof Barineme Fakae, stated that the existing structures, recently renovated by the RSU authority and the vast land available will sufficiently serve to accommodate and ease the process of take-off of actual learning activities at the Federal University of Environment and Technology.
Fubara explained that his visit to the Kira Campus of the school was necessitated by the request from the Office of National Security Adviser to his Office to consider and approve the campus for the take off of the new Federal University.
He said: “This is one of the campuses of the Rivers State University, and we got a request from the National Security Adviser, appealing to the State Government to release this facility for the take-off of the just approved University of Environment and Technology to Rivers people, more especially the Ogoni people because it is sited in Kira, in Ogoniland.”
Fubara also said his visit to the school was to get first hand assessment of the facilities on ground.
He said, “They have already given us a written information, but I felt it is proper for us to come and do physical assessment, and that is what we just did. From what we are seeing, it is a well-planned place, and I strongly believe that it is suitable for the take- off of this university.”
The governor noted that the property belongs to the Rivers State University, owned by the Rivers State Government, leaving it with the sole right through the university to formally release the property to the Federal Government.
He said: “And we can assure the interested parties, more especially the President who, out of his own goodwill, has approved this university, and the National Security Adviser, who requested for it, that we have released it. After this meeting here, we will officially transmit a letter of release for the take-off of this university.”
Fubara thanked all the parties who initiated the process and ensured the Federal University was eventually approved, and also commended the Rivers State University for keeping the structures in God condition.
He emphasized the enormous benefit of the university to the people of Ogoni and Rivers State in general.
“We are doing this because at the end of the day, what this university is going to do for us here is three major things: It will bring development; it will increase the status of educational level of Ogoni people, more especially on this issue of environmental impact.
“We know we have a lot of problems around this region on issues of environment and all related issues, but this university is going to serve as a study group and it is an honour that in our own time, this noble initiative was established,” he added.
