By Martin Opara
Former Governor of Imo State Senator Rochas Okorocha, presently representing Imo West senatorial district in the National Assembly, has debunked claims by Governor Uzodinma’s media aides that the latter founded and obtained the operational licence of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, in Ohaji/Egbema LGA, that is scheduled to take off in October this year.
This was contained in a release issued and signed on the former governor’s behalf by his Special Adviser, Media, Sam Onwuemeodo and made available to the press . The release stated that, contrary to claims of Senator Okorocha’s media aides, who may have misquoted him, “Rochas Okorocha established the university, which he located at the premises of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo with a campus at Aboh/Ngor Okpalla and appointed Prof. Peter Akanwa, who was then, Head of Department of Business Management, Imo State University, as Vice Chancellor, while Rev. Fr. Wence Madu, former Rector of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo was appointed chairman of the 7man governing council that included, HRH, Eze Thomas Obiefule among others. All these happened in April 2019, while he was governor”.
The release further stated that, aside, the new university located at Umuagwo, Okorocha also secured operational licences and approval for the take off of three additional universities, namely, University of Creative Technology, Omuma, Isiaku in Nkwerre LGA, University of Medical Sciences, Ogboko in Ideato South LGA, and University of Science and Technology, Umuna in Orlu LGA, “which were recognized by the National University Commission as 50th, 51st and 52nd state universities and 172nd, 173rd and 174th universities in the country, respectively”.
Onwuemeodo, challenged those peddling contrary information about the establishment of the university to make it public. He also advised political office holders to always acknowledge the achievements of their predecessors and desist from misinforming the people in a bid to score cheap political points by attributing non existent achievements to themselves, as that will project them as fraudulent and dishonest people that are not worthy of trust.
