Tony Osauzo and Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Igbinedion University Okada, on Monday, inaugurated its fifth Governing Council, with a mandate to improving the academic and infrastructural development of the institution.
Chancellor of the University, Chief Gabriel Igbinedion, while inaugurating the Council, tasked members to develop a detailed and workable action policy and interface with relevant people and institutions in order to make the university greater than they met it.
“In view of the current economic situation in the country, it is my hope that this council will drive policies to rekindled the entrepreneurial initiative of the university and link it with industry, commerce and international organisations for the benefit of the institution”, he said.
Represented by the Deputy Chancellor, Chief Lucky Igbinedion, he assured the council of total support as well as be available for consultation for the development of the institution.
Responding, the Chairman of the Governing Council, Prof. Ahmad Abdullah, said the council would bring to bear their intellectual capacity for the development of the institution.
He said the greatest challenge for the council is to carry on with the spirit of entrepreneurship to advance the course of the university, adding that in this era of dwindling resources the only option in terms of financing the institution, is to add to the entrepreneur option that was already on ground.
“The greatest challenge is to carry on with the spirit of entrepreneurship to advance the course of the university for which I interpreted. There is a call for us to enlarge the cake for the progress of the university and not to share the cake but to enlarge the cake, to bake a bigger cake and by that understanding, we have to perform our various roles that is to say the council, the university management and including the students of this university.
“Under the directive of the chancellor, we have to do the needful to advance a bigger cake for this particular university.
“Entrepreneur is what is needed because we are now in an environment where the needful is called for because of the dwindling resources available.
“We are going to look for options and the only way to look for options in terms of financing, we want to add an entrepreneur kind of option that we can have.
“So, part of the big policies question for the council, is what are the wherewithal that we need? We realized that the resource base of the university and surely the answer is in the entrepreneurship.
“We came here with our bags and baggages as tools to make the institution the best and continue its pedigree as premier university. We are not here to eat from the institution’s cake but to enlarge it,” he said.
On his part, Senator Ben Obi, said the council will source for funds from other international universities to help develop this university to international standard university.
“We will put in focus the vision and mission of the university and the calling also, with great nostalgia that this university is the first private university in the country. We understand the measure of responsibility that is upon the fifth council and we hope that with the calibre of men and women in the fifth council, we will be able to accomplish our goals with the period of our assignment.
“The challenges of the university are not far-fetched from the challenges of the country. Most of our universities are underfunded and they have to build the university in tandem with international best practices and that is what we will be facing as a council”, he said.
The board members are, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Prof. Sheik Ahmad Abdullah, Senator Ben Obi, Prof. Jery Gana, Prof Abubakar Sani Sambo, Prof. Abiodu Ilesanmi, Prof. (Mrs)Yinka Omoregbe, Edo State Commissioner for Justice/Attorney General and Lady Selerina Mercy Ojomo.
