Abia Governor Alex Otti Orders Demolition Of ABSU Faculty Buildings

Abia governor Alex Otti orders demolition of ABSU faculty buildings. He said that demolition of the buildings was necessary to save students from danger.

Gov. Alex Otti of Abia has ordered the authorities of  Abia State University(ABSU)  to demolish the law and agriculture faculties buildings, which are dilapidated.

Mr Otti gave the order  at a two-day retreat organised for the re-constituted Governing Council of ABSU, by the Pro-Chancellor and chairman of council, Agwu U. Agwu.
He said that demolition of the buildings was necessary to save students from danger.

“I set up a committee and sent them to go and see how the Law and Agriculture faculty buildings are, and the conclusion of their report is that there are no buildings that could house those faculties, even when renovated.

“Vice -Chancellor, you have your job cut out for you; you cannot allow students to be in those buildings, because when they collapse, you will lose the students.

“I heard that students read in those buildings; those buildings should be pulled down,” the governor said.

He said that construction of new buildings had been approved for both faculties and that the drawings would be completed soon.
Mr Otti promised to release funds for the faculty buildings, to ensure their completion within the academic session.

He said that both faculties, which were relocated to Umuahia Campus by the last administration in the state, would remain there until the provision of adequate accommodation.

The governor regretted that the university, which was ranked  second, following its establishment after the Rivers State University in 1981, was now 37 on the ranking list.

He charged all stakeholders to do the necessary things to improve the state of things at the institution.

The commissioner for tertiary education, Uche Eme Uche, said that Mr Otti inherited a broken ABSU, with all kinds of stories of malpractice.

Ms Uche said that the governor constituted a Visitation Panel, which made recommendations morphed  into a white paper, whose implementation formed the basis for ABSU’s transformation.

She urged the council to understand the relationship between the council and the management and their operational rules to advance the institution’s progress.

Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor, Mr Agwu, said that the retreat had selected experienced resource persons to usher in a new era in the university.

Mr Agwu said although ABSU had produced eminent personalities, it still lagged behind ,stressing a lot needed  to be done to make it a world-class institution.

ABSU Faculty Buildings

He thanked the governor for the steps taken to improve the institution’s status and sought more investment to upgrade the status of ABSU.

The Vice Chancellor, Ndukwe Okeudo, said that the governor’s commitment to educational excellence in the state was manifested in 20 per cent budget allocation to education and free education in the state.

Mr Okeudo expressed hope that lessons learnt from the retreat would help enhance the performance of the council.

Uniuyo Theatre Arts Presents ‘Dance Of The Ghosts’, Haunting Commentary On Nigeria’s Social Ills

Uniuyo Theatre Arts presents ‘dance of the ghosts’, haunting commentary on Nigeria’s social ills. The University of Uyo’s (UNIUYO) Theatre Arts Department, recently, presented a thrilling performance of Ben Binebai’s “Dance of the Ghosts,” directed by Sunday Umanah-Tusi.

This impressive performance was a practical component of the Year One course, THA 113 – Practical Orientation Production.

In the thought-provoking play “Dance of the Ghosts,” Ben Binebai crafts a powerful political allegory that reflects the Nigerian state’s struggles with leadership, mistrust, and the pursuit of power. Set in the fictional Ebiogbo Kingdom, the play exposes the harsh realities of a society where many live in fear, poverty, and frustration.

Through the lens of Ebiogbo Kingdom, Binebai shines a light on the disconnect between the people and their leaders, as well as the mistrust and backstabbing that often characterize the pursuit of power.

The play advocates for collective action and protest against irresponsible and autocratic leadership, promoting a message of social change and conflict resolution.

Overall, “Dance of the Ghosts” was a captivating production that left the audience spellbound. With its talented cast, creative team, and eerie atmosphere, this play is a must-see for anyone interested in the supernatural and the unknown.

The production was a masterclass in collaborative storytelling, with a talented team of creatives bringing the world of ghosts to life.

The set design, crafted by Umanah-Tusi, Edikan Samuel, Emmanuel Alexander, and others, transported the audience to a realm beyond the living. Dora Nnanake and Emmah Edet’s costumes added a touch of eeriness to the proceedings, while Katty Otioro and Sylvia’s makeup designs made the ghosts look eerily real.

Uniuyo Theatre Arts

The lighting, designed by Uwem Nesfield, cast an otherworldly glow over the stage, immersing the audience in the world of the ghosts.

The choreography, crafted by Jackyafricana Abasiodiongo Ekomabasi, Precious Ammang, and Queendalyne Effiong, added a dynamic energy to the performance.

The stage management team, led by Blossom, Jeffrey, and Sarah, ensured a seamless transition between scenes, keeping the pace of the play steady.

The playwright, Ben Binebai is a renowned Professor of Drama, Dramatic Theory, and Criticism at the Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amasoma. A prolific writer, Binebai has penned numerous works that showcase his expertise in drama and theatre arts. His play “Dance of the Ghosts” is a testament to his ability to craft thought-provoking stories that reflect the complexities of Nigerian society.

Education minister Tunji Alausa Decries Proliferation Of Versities, Seeks Improvement Of Existing Ones

Education minister Tunji Alausa decries proliferation of Versities, seeks improvement of existing ones. Mr Alausa said that there was no need to put pressure on the president to establish new universities

The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, has hinged the current proliferation of universities on the increasing pressure being mounted by lawmakers.

Mr Alausa spoke at the third edition of the 2025 Ministerial Press Briefing in Abuja on Thursday.

The federal government is facing mounting pressure to reform the country’s education sector.

With almost 200 bills pending in the National Assembly for the creation of universities, there is a growing concern that the system is becoming overwhelmed.

Mr Alausa explained that renewing the capacities of existing institutions was more important than establishing new ones.

According to him, there is no need to put pressure on the president to establish new universities.

He said, “We must focus on our capacities. We need to stop this from happening. There’s so much pressure on the president. We have to at least be sensitive to it as well.

“They (lawmakers) are passing a lot of bills. Today I can tell you that there are almost 200 bills in the National Assembly. We can’t continue this. Even though we have a lot of them, the capacity for a university to admit is not there. What we need to do now is to rebuild the capacities so that we can offer more viable courses to our citizens.’’

He added that the enrolment rate was not commensurate with the recent number of universities.

“If you look at the entire enrolment together, the one per cent of private universities account for just 7.5 per cent of total undergraduate enrolment. The total number of undergraduate enrolments today is just about 875,000, which is at least fairly low.

We have universities with less than 1,000 undergraduate students, and there’s this intense demand for more universities to be opened. We have to stop that,” he said.

He added that several key proposals had been put forward to address the challenges facing Nigeria’s education sector.

Speaking on specialised universities, the minister appealed to the institutions to focus on their mandate.

According to him, there is a need to reduce the number of non-technical courses offered in specialised universities and instead make them available in conventional universities.

He also pledged the commitment of the federal government to reducing the number of out-of-school children and creating opportunities for them in tertiary institutions.

On speculation of scrapping the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETfund), Mr Alausa said the Education Tax Fund would continue indefinitely.

Education minister Tunji Alausa

“What we now need to do is to begin to open up more resources to develop infrastructure, build engineering workshops and build laboratories in these universities.

We also must recruit international standard teachers so that we can begin to get these universities to deliver high-quality education that will be known throughout the country.

“When it comes to the education tax, I think a tax fund is going to be advanced now because I’ve heard some information in the new tax bill about tax funds being subsidised by the year 2030,” he said.