By Emmanuel Uffot
Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno has reiterated his government commitment to prioritize investment in educational development.
The Governor gave the assurance at the combined convocation ceremonies of the University of Uyo, at the TETFund Auditorium, Main Campus of the University.
He noted that education being one of the pillars of the his ARISE Agenda, his government is committed to investing in it from the foundational to tertiary.
Governor Eno himself an alumnus of the University of Uyo and a Ph.D candidate, stated that as part of his administration’s commitment to actualize the educational advancement component of the ARISE Agenda, the State Government will continue to support UNIUYO to enhance its pursuit of academic excellence, expressing hope that products of the school will continue to contribute to the development of the State and society in general.
The Governor congratulated the University on its successful combined convocation and felicitated with the 14,866 graduating students of the University and those conferred with Honorary Doctorate Degrees.
He expressed courtesies of the government and people of the State to the Chief Visitor of the University, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the University Chancellor, Emir of Hadejia and Chairman Jigawa State Council of Chiefs, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu Maje, Vice Chancellor, Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo, Senate and Management of the University of Uyo, for their advancement of education in the State.
He further commended the strides recorded by Professor Ndaeyo since his assumption of office as Vice Chancellor, especially for successfully hosting the combined convocation to formally celebrate the graduation of the 26th, 27th and current 28th sets who were caught in the web of the COVID-19 pandemic which affected their academic calendar.
Governor Eno “I commend you on the successful hosting of this joint convocation. Let me particularly pay special tribute to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nyaudoh Ndaeyo on his strides since assumption of office. You’re not just a pacesetter but a shinning and worthy ambassador of all of us and as the saying goes, a good job done means more jobs to be done. We know and trust that you will excel.”
“Our administration will continue to work with the University of Uyo and indeed all other Universities and tertiary institutions in the state.
” We will support them, because education is one of the pillars of our ARISE Agenda and we’ll continue to demonstrate good faith working with you and supporting you as much as possible,” the governor assured.
In his remark the University of Uyo Chancellor, Alhaji Abubakar Adamu Maje, CON, also felicitated the graduands and charged them not to see their academic attainment as an end but a means to an end and challenged them to think out of the box of white collar jobs and launch themselves into the present world of innovation, resourcefulness and creativity.
The Royal Father also congratulated Governor Eno on his emergence as governor in the University’s host state, Akwa Ibom and call for stronger collaborations between the federal and state governments to advance education as catalyst for the needed development of Nigeria.
Earlier in his remark the Vice Chancellor, Professor Nyaudo Ndaeyo, expressed gratitude to the Visitor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Governor of the host state, Pastor Umo Eno, and other governors for their support and goodwill towards the school and its graduands.
Professor Ndaeyo said the University of Uyo was proud of having Governor Umo Eno as its first alumnus to be governor of the state as well as for his leadership disposition and gains recorded for the the state and the institution.
The convocation is coming barely six months of assumption of office by the governor.