This news was culled from the guardian Nigeria
By Ann Godwin, Port Harcourt
27 February 2025 | 7:20 pm
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the recently approved Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland by President Bola Tinubu will begin operations at the Kira Campus of the Rivers State University (RSU).
Fubara
Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said that the recently approved Federal University of Environment and Technology in Ogoniland by President Bola Tinubu will begin operations at the Kira Campus of the Rivers State University (RSU).
Governor Fubara announced the approval when he visited the Kira Campus of RSU to assess the condition of the existing facilities and structures in Tai Local Government Area on Thursday.
Governor Fubara said the existing structures, recently renovated by the RSU authority, and the vast land available will sufficiently serve to accommodate and ease the process of the take-off of actual learning activities at the Federal University of Environment and Technology.
The Rivers State Governor was conducted around the campus by the Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof. Okogbule Nlerum, Tai Council Chairman, Hon. Matthew Dike, and former Vice Chancellor of RSU, Prof. Barineme Fakae.
Governor Fubara, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, explained that his visit to the Kira Campus of RSU was necessitated by the request from the Office of the National Security Adviser to his office to consider and approve the campus for the take-off of the new federal university.
The governor said: “This is one of the campuses of the Rivers State University, and we got a request from the National Security Adviser, appealing to the State Government to release this facility for the take-off of the just-approved University of Environment and Technology for Rivers people, more especially the Ogoni people, because it is sited in Kira, in Ogoniland.”
Fubara explained how the State Government wrote to formally inform the management of the Rivers State University, which is directly in charge of the facility, for updates on the condition of structures on the campus.
He said, “They have already given us written information, but I felt it is proper for us to come and do a physical assessment, and that is what we just did. From what we are seeing, it is a well-planned place, and I strongly believe that it is suitable for the take-off of this university.”
Fubara stated clearly that the property belongs to the Rivers State University, owned by the Rivers State Government, leaving it with the sole right, through the university, to formally release the property to the Federal Government.
He said: “And we can assure the interested parties, more especially the President, who, out of his own goodwill, has approved this university, and the National Security Adviser, who requested it, that we have released it. After this meeting here, we will officially transmit a letter of release for the take-off of this university.”
Fubara thanked all the parties who initiated the process and ensured the Federal University was eventually approved, and also commended the Rivers State University for keeping the structures in good condition, as can be seen from the assessment.
He said RSU wanted to use the structures maximally but quickly clarified that, given the request from the Federal Government and the approval given, the new university can now commence learning activities.
He stated: “We are doing this because, at the end of the day, what this university is going to do for us here is three major things: It will bring development; it will increase the status of the educational level of the Ogoni people, more especially on this issue of environmental impact.
“We know we have a lot of problems around this axis of the region on issues of environment and all related issues, but this university is going to serve as a study group. And thirdly, it is an honour that in our own time, this noble initiative was established,” he added.
