…as former VC, Akpan Ekpo chairs 18-member panel
By Ime Silas
UYO — In a move towards consolidating reforms and broadening stakeholder engagement, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Professor Christopher N. Ekong, on Thursday inaugurated an Advisory Committee charged with providing strategic counsel to deepen the institution’s Renewal and Restoration Agenda.
The inauguration, held at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office on the Main Campus along Nwaniba Road, Uyo, brought together members of the University Management Team and some of the most respected figures in the institution’s history. The setting underscored the weight of the assignment as the university positions itself for what the current administration describes as a new phase of transformation.
Speaking to the newly inaugurated members, Professor Ekong expressed appreciation for their willingness to serve, noting that their collective pedigree represents decades of institutional memory, academic excellence, and community goodwill.
“I thank you sincerely for accepting to serve at this critical time in the life of our University,” the Vice-Chancellor said, adding “I have no doubt that your knowledge, experience and wisdom will contribute significantly to the transformation and advancement of the University of Uyo. We are at a point where we must think deeply, act decisively, and build structures that will outlast all of us.”
According to Professor Ekong, the committee was not created as a ceremonial body. Its core mandate is to provide “valuable guidance in critical areas” that will determine the university’s trajectory in the next few years.
He listed the priority areas to include academic revival, institutional renaissance, infrastructural revitalisation, financial growth, and effective governance, as well as other strategic areas that require expert input.
The Renewal and Restoration Agenda, he explained, is anchored on repositioning the University of Uyo as a center of academic excellence, research innovation, and service to the Niger Delta and beyond.
“We are committed to repositioning this institution,” Professor Ekong reaffirmed. “That commitment will remain the compass of this administration. This committee will help us test our ideas, identify blind spots, and ensure that our policies translate into real impact for students, staff, and the larger community.”
To lead the advisory body, Professor Ekong announced Emeritus Professor Akpan Hogan Ekpo, a renowned Professor of Economics and Public Policy and a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Uyo, as Chairman.
The membership reads like a roll call of the university’s leadership history and its extended stakeholder base. It includes three other former Vice-Chancellors: Professor Akaneren Essien, Professor Comfort Ekpo, and Pioneer Distinguished Professor Enefiok Essien, SAN.
Also on the committee are former Deputy Vice-Chancellors Professor Trenchard Ibia, Professor Charles Uko, Professor Okon Ansa, and Professor Anthonia Essien. They are joined by Professor Innocent Modo and Professor Kingsley Akpabio, both respected scholars with long-standing contributions to the university.
In recognition of the role of tradition and alumni in institutional growth, the committee also has His Royal Highness Obong P. J. Effiong, former Registrar of the University; Obong Ide Owodiong-Idemeko, Pioneer Alumni President; and Mr. Ekerete Adiaiduo, the current Alumni President. Mr. Uduak Vincent will serve as Secretary to the Committee.
The blend of academics, professionals, traditional leadership, and alumni, according to the VC, was deliberate. “We need people who understand the soul of this university, people who have walked its corridors, and people who can connect us to the resources and partnerships we need to grow,” he noted.
Responding on behalf of the committee, Chairman Emeritus Professor Akpan H. Ekpo pledged the group’s “total support” for the Vice-Chancellor and his management team. He commended Professor Ekong for the strides recorded within a relatively short period in office and expressed optimism about the direction of the university.
“We are delighted at the achievements already recorded under your leadership,” Professor Ekpo said. “This committee will deploy its expertise, experience, and networks towards the advancement of the University of Uyo. We see this as a service to posterity, and we will not take it lightly.”
He assured that members would work collaboratively, provide honest feedback, and help the administration realize its vision of a stronger, more sustainable university.
The inauguration marks another significant step by the University of Uyo Management to broaden stakeholder participation in decision-making and strengthen collective ownership of the institution’s development agenda.
As rightly noted by stakeholders of the University of Uyo Community, advisory committees of this nature are becoming increasingly important for public universities navigating funding challenges, infrastructure deficits, and the demand for global competitiveness. By bringing in former principal officers and alumni leaders, the University of Uyo appears to be tapping into institutional memory while also signaling openness to new ideas.
As the committee begins its work, expectations are high among staff, students, and alumni that its recommendations will translate into tangible improvements in teaching, research, infrastructure, and governance.
As Professor Ekong clearly noted in his message: the Renewal and Restoration Agenda is a shared project. “No single person can build a university alone. It takes a community. Today, we have brought that community together”.
The committee is expected to meet regularly and submit periodic advisory reports to the Vice-Chancellor’s office.
