News
Diri Donates Hall Of Fame To UNIPORT
Notwithstanding, the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), was yesterday suffused with pomp, pageantry and manifold emotions as a business mogul in Rivers State, Mr Sobere Diri, donated the Asikiya Diri (nee Nungo) Hall of Fame building to the university’s faculty of Management Sciences in response to an earlier request by the faculty for the building of a hall of fame.
Diri who sits atop Hamilton Technologies Limited, a three-decade old indigenous fluids services company as Managing Director, said the handing over of the building was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He expressed utmost joy at the completion of the project which he explained was his own way of contributing his own quota to the educational and social development of the university and the larger society.
Stating “unequivocally that the building represents friendship and partnership with the university, Diri explained that “the name of the building was strategic, given the fact that my mother, Asikiya Diri (Nee Nungo) is a woman with a golden heart, whose legacy was that of helping others in need, even at huge costs to her.”
He hinted that his experience as a student of the faculty whose mother struggled daily to ensure he never missed lectures and the dire financial straits of the universities gave impetus to building the edifice to ensure conducive atmosphere for teaching and learning.
Diri who appealed to other alumni of UNIPORT to intervene in the critical needs of the institution donated N5million on behalf of his wife for the provision of some items for the faculty and another N5million on behalf of his children for scholarship to indigent students of the faculty.
He also announced the donation of N5million for the faculty on behalf of his friends.
Lamenting the fate of students in the country, Diri advised youths to be focused and desist from anti-social activities and take their destiny in their hands to enable them succeed in life.
Speaking earlier, the Dean of the Faculty of Management Sciences, Professor Emeka Okere paid glowing tributes to Diri for redeeming his pledge to the faculty, assuring that the Hall of Fame would be put into good use.
Thanking Diri for making the day a reality, he called on other alumni of the institution to emulate his kind gesture.
In his speech, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Owunari George thanked Diri for the great fit of doing the faculty of Management Sciences and the institution the honour of building the structure.
Owunari who commissioned the tastefully furnished structure described Diri as a proud alumni of the institution for single handedly building the Hall of Fame.
Urging other alumni of the institution to emulate Diri, Owunari appealed for more assistance given the lean funds of the university.
The Amanyanabo of Opobo, King Dandeson Douglas Jaja, government recognized traditional rulers, and many dignitaries graced the colourful ceremony.
By: Victor Tew
President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.