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Time Lists UNIPORT VC Among Top 100 African Change Makers …Presents Medal Of Honour, Awards
The Vice Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, Prof Owunari Georgewill, has been honoured by Time Africa Magazine, as the Change Maker of the Year 2022.
Time Africa is an International Biweekly Magazine with a culture of excellence with correspondents across the nations of Africa.
A statement by the university’s Public Relations Officer,Dr Sam Kpenu, in Port Harcourt,said the presentation of the awards to the VC was done, last Monday, at the Vice Chancellors Office, University of Port Harcourt by the Chairman of Time Africa Board, Rory Knight based in Washington, DC, United States of America.
The statement quotedKnight as saying that Georgewill was honoured because of the highest level of excellence and achievement in his field, his impacts which have a lasting legacy in Nigeria, the continent and around the world.
The statement said the board chairman, who was represented by the Managing Director andEditor-In-Chief of the magazine, Chidi-Peters Okorie said, “African 100 Award/Medal of Honour is bestowed on Professor Owunari Georgewill based on three criteria: outstanding research, unusually effective teaching, and distinguished professorial service.
“Today, he is given this medal of honour and listed among the African 100 due to his high impact performance, and I hope that this honour shall bring to Professor Georgewill a feeling of accomplishment and encourage him to move forward with increased confidence and strength,” he said.
Knight said the University of Port Harcourt has become Africa’s education game-changer, shifting from teacher-centric education to student-centric education, noting that Geogewill, upon assumption of office, has made history through his fearless, strong, and determined programmes that have set transformational agenda for a competitive University of Port Harcourt.
He described Georgewill as a reformer who has introduced several reform programmes that have brought the university’s management closer to staff, students, and stakeholders through “This Week In Retrospect” and “Welcome To A New Week”.
Knight said, “under Georgewill’s leadership, the university has made tremendous progress in areas of academic, international collaborations with universities in Africa and Europe as well as Canada and the US, and has attracted government and international organisations in the infrastructure uplifting of the university”.
The international magazine also noted that from available records, the university was currently a construction ground for faculty buildings, hostel accommodation buildings, professorial office buildings, staff office buildings, classrooms, lecture theatres, lecture auditoriums, solar power for electricity supply, academic excellence with the participation of staff and students in local and international conferences, workshops, seminars, and post-graduate training, amongst others, and expressed the hope that these awards; the medal of honour and African 100 would spur him to greater heights by not relenting on his oars.
Responding, Prof Georgewill Owunari expressed appreciation to Time Africa Magazine for the recognition, and dedicated the award to all men and women of goodwill striving for excellence in their various fields of endeavour and to God Almighty.
He said the journey so far has been interesting, and revealed that he would use every opportunity at his disposal to present the university to the national and international levels.
He described himself as a servant who works along with other members of staff (teaching and non-teaching) and students to perform at optimal level to develop the university.
He told his audience, “Since my assumption of office on July 13, 2021, justice and fair play have been my watchword. I provide equal opportunity for all, irrespective of tribe, religion, or gender. I give high consideration to gender parity in all my appointments, and maintain the rule of law in all my actions by playing by the extant rules of the university”.
He assured the organisation that he would not be scared to delve into uncharted waters, saying that that has been the conveyor belt that has enabled him to continue to thrive in leaps and bounds; creating an engaging environment to nurture academic growth and encourage a culture of research and development, teaching and learning as well as community service.
By: Amadi Akujobi
News
I’m Committed To Community Dev – Ajinwo
News
RSG Tasks Rural Dwellers On RAAMP …As Sensitization Team Visits Akulga, Degema, Three Others

Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
News
Senate Replaces Natasha As Committee Chairman

The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.
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