‘FUTO Currently Ranks 8th Best Varsity’

Amby Uneze in Owerri

The Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 10th Governing Council of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Dr. Emmanuel Enemuo, has commended the outgoing Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Cyril Asiabaka for making the institution attain an enviable academic excellence during his tenure.

Enemuo gave the commendation at a valedictory colloquium in honour of Asiabaka whose tenure expires this month as the sixth substantive vice-chancellor of the institution.

Asiabaka, who hails from Awo-Idemili, in the Orsu Council Area of Imo State, took over the mantle of leadership of the university from the late Professor Celestine Onwuliri in 2011 and is expected to hand over to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration, Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Eze.

According to Enemuo, the institution which is the country’s premier university of technology, established in 1980 by the President Shehu Shagari administration is now the eighth in the ranking of universities in the country by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as against its former 48th position.

“Asiabaka has brought about monumental physical development and infrastructure into FUTO and the university is now being governed with strict sense of discipline, there are no more examination malpractices, selling of handouts, sexual harassment and cultism is now a thing of the past in FUTO.”

He attributed the achievement of the outgoing vice-chancellor to the unflinching support and cooperation of the members of the governing council and enjoined them to extend the same to his successor.

Responding, Asiabaka thanked the Federal Ministry of Education, NUC, Tertiary Education Trust Fund, Niger Delta Development Commission, Petroleum Development Trust Fund, Nigerian Communication Commission and other intervention/donor agencies for their benevolence and sustained assistance towards the development of the university.

Encomiums poured in as deans and heads of departments eulogisded the achievements of the outgoing vice-chancellor and wished him well in his future endeavors.