Less than 24 hours after signing into law, an ammendment to the bill that conferred on him as Visitor to the Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo state Tuesday dissolved the governing council of the institution.
In place of the governing council, the governor appointed Professor Osarhieme Benson Osadolor as Acting Vice Chancellor of the University.
Simply put, the new ammendment empowers Obaseki as Visitor, to hire and fire at AAU.
Recall that Obaseki had while signing the bill Monday night, vowed to take all steps deemed necessary, that would enable the state government reposition the University.
Tagged ‘The Ambrose Alli University (Special Intervention Powers) Provisions Law 2021’, the law empowers Obaseki to intervene in the ongoing impasse at the institution, as deemed necessary.
The government in a statement by the Secretary to the State Government, Barr. Osarodion Ogie, said the dissolution and appointment take immediate effect.
The statement reads: “In accordance with the Ambrose Alli University (Special Intervention Powers) Provisions Law 2021, the Edo State Government hereby announces the dissolution of the Governing Council of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma and appointment of Prof. Osarhieme Benson Osadolor as Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution.”
“These directives take immediate effect.
“The Ambrose Alli University (Special Intervention Powers) Provisions Law 2021 empowers the Visitor of the University to intervene in the ongoing impasse at the institution in the interest of the school, students and the generality of Edo people.
“For some time now, the institution has been brought to its knees by mismanagement and maladministration forcing the students to remain at home, with the attendant adverse effect on their academic pursuits. This has also grounded activities in the university community, with the institution derailing from the vision of its founders”.
A Fulbright Scholar and Professor of History at the University of Benin, Prof. Osadolor, was trained at the University of Hamburg, Germany and University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
He is also a Visiting Research Fellow in African History at the University of Hamburg, Germany and an academic consultant to the Art History Museum, in Vienna, Austria.
His close to four decades career as an academic and university administrator, has taken him through Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, USA; Morgan State University, Baltimore, Maryland; San Diego State University, San Diego, California, USA; University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria; University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria and Igbinedion University, Okada, Nigeria, among others”.
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