A cash gift of N1 million was awarded to the University
of Port-Harcourt as the overall best university council in 2003 with 352
points.
Prof. Ayo Banjo is the Pro-Chancellor of the university.
The award which was organised by the National
Universities Commission (NUC) took place in Abuja at the second award
ceremony of the Nigerian University System Annual Merit Awards (NUSAMA) .
The council of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA)
led by Prof. Adesola Akande received the second best council award of
N750.000 by recording 325 points.
The sum of N500,000 was given to the Bayero University
council headed by Prof. Ochapa Onazi as the third best council with 309
points.
The ceremony also witnessed the award of the overall best
Vice Chancellor in the Nigerian university system which went to Prof. Ejike
Njoku of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri(FUTO).
Njoku, who scored 375 points, went home with a cash gift
of N250,000.
Prof. Oye Ibidapo-Obe, from the University of Lagos
received N150,000 with 362 points as the second best vice chancellor,
While the third best prize went to Prof. Nimi Briggs of
the University of Port-Harcourt with 361 points and a cash prize of
N100,000.
Prof. David Ker of the Benue State University was also
given N120,000 as the best state university vice chancellor in 2003.
Speaking earlier, Prof. Peter Okebukola had said that
``the management of NUC is determined to ensure the sustenance of this award
scheme.
``This is our further modest contribution to the
development of the highest standards of governance in our university
system.''
Okebukola said the programme, which was introduced last
year, was to stimulate the capacity of universities to ensure efficiency in
the management of university business.
He congratulated the awardees and asked for the
co-operation of all universities to make the event an annual one.
Prof. Idris Abdulkadir was conferred with an award as the
longest serving executive secretary of the Commission and ``whose imprints
in physical development and in guarding academic perimeters of Nigerian
universities is yet unequalled''
In his response, Abdulkadir said that the entire human
system survived by competition and urged the universities as a system to be
competitive.
In his remarks, Njoku commended NUC for its outstanding
dynamism and innovationand asked the commission not to relent.
He said that in spite of the anomalies like strike and
cult activities in the universities, the university remained the last beacon
of hope for the growth and development of the economy.
He asked Nigerians to have sincerity of purpose and to be
honest, committed and dedicated to duty as that was the only way to achieve
success.
