Rep keeps hope alive for delisted MOUAU courses

By LEONARD OKACHIE

Representative Sam Onuigbo, on Saturday, said he would continue to work with the leadership of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), to ensure that the delisted management courses in the school are returned.

Onuigbo, who is representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency of Abia, said this at the 10th Convocation ceremony of the university.

The lawmaker said progress is being made towards that direction.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Federal Government had delisted management courses, including Accountancy, Business Administration, Economics and others about three years ago.

The government decision was hinged on the fact that MOUAU, as a specialised university of agriculture, should focus on the objectives for establishing it.

However, there had been several calls by prominent personalities of Abia, including the state government, urging the Federal Government to reconsider its decision, so as to accommodate more students.

Onuigbo, who has the university located in his constituency, Ikwuano Local Government Area (LGA), said he led the fight to ensure that the delisting of the courses was discussed and placed on the front burner of national issues.

“This was of course during the 8th Assembly when I served in both the Basic and Tertiary Education Committees of the House of Representatives.

“It was a very turbulent period for MOUAU as the university also witnessed the retrenchment of so many personnel,” said the two-term lawmaker.

Onuigbo said he raised motions, wrote petitions and visited Federal Government Agencies to look for solutions.

According to him, those actions alongside those of the university authority, stemmed the decapitation of the institution.

He insisted that he would continue to work hard with the university to find a permanent solution to the challenges.

The lawmaker, who was a special guest at the convocation ceremony, urged the graduands to go into the world with creativity, boldness and unquestionable character so that success could be theirs. (NAN)