UNIPORT alumni laud Buhari, education minister over new acting VC

The alumni association of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has commended the appointment of Stephen Okodudu, an alumnus of the institution, as the acting vice-chancellor.

In a statement signed by Chris Adokeme, its national president, on Sunday, the association lauded President Muhammadu Buhari; Adamu Adamu, the education minister; and Rotimi Amaechi, transportation minister.

Highlighting the capacities in which the acting VC has worked over the years, it noted that having an alumnus at the helm of affairs of the university had long been a vision that the alumni community looked to actualise.

It also described Okodudu as a thoroughbred alumnus, having acquired all his degrees from the institution while working “tirelessly all through his working life” to improving the fortunes of his alma mater.

“He was Dean of Students’ Affairs and Director of the University of Port Harcourt College of Continuing Education,” the statement read in part.

“It was during his tenure as director of the College of Continuing Education that the college pioneered the consolidation of the University of Port Harcourt Business School.

“It also established the Open and Distance Learning Centre, the Ashgrove Academy, the Claude Ake School of Government, among others for the university at the time.”

As chairman of the “Strategic Plan Committee of UniPort 2020-2025,” the alumni association noted that the new VC is fully equipped to pilot the affairs of the university in the right direction.

It also assured Okodudu, whom it described as an alumni activist, of maximum support in the task of projecting the ideals of a “unique institution as the University of Port Harcourt.”

Until his appointment, which took effect from July 13, and is to last for a period of six months, Okodudu was a lecturer of the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences.