BY: VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
The National Association of Nigerian Students’, Joint Campus Committee (NANS JCC), Cross River State chapter said it has put finishing touches to immortalize the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Zana Akpagu.
This was disclosed to newsmen in Calabar yesterday when members of the executive paid the Vice Chancellor a visit in his office.
The group also used the occasion to present him with an award of “Credence of Selfless Service for his outstanding performances and exceptional commitment to students welfare”.
Speaking on behalf of the Executive, the state chairman of the association, Comrade Mbang Confidence, assured the Vice chancellor that students across the state will always be there for him in his ambition to represent Cross River North in the Senate in the forthcoming by-election as he has always been there for them.
Mbang appealed to the him to allocate land in the University for the association to build its first independent secretariat adding that because of his sterling performances, the secretariat, when completed will be named after him.
He said that his “reign as Vice Chancellor greeted the Students’ community with blessings and made the youths of Cross River State to have a place for survival. Your administrative toga and aura is unparalleled and greeted with marks of political influence and patronage across the state”.
The Chairman added that “we don’t need to dabble into the restructuring of the institution and your dexterity in giving the institution an international face. We reserve our comments. We bid you farewell and confidence in your senatorial race and urge the public to judge you by your antecedents which to us, would worth an article. As you stand for the students, so shall we stand with you”.
While extolling him he added that “as a well recognized and influential Patron of NANS and most outstanding Vice Chancellor in the South-South geopolitical zone, we deemed it fit to immortalize you by building the first ever independent NANS Secretariat in Nigeria to be named “The Prof. Zana Akpagu NANS Secretariat” in the land of the University of Calabar”.
In his reaction , Prof. Akpagu thanked them for the award and support for his Senatorial ambition while pledging that he will always be for the students even after leaving office.
He said that “When I see you like this, I think of my days as Students. I’ve very serious attachment with the students, I don’t know if it’s because I’m the first alumnus to become Vice Chancellor. My idea to expand our curriculum offerings is to give more people opportunity to become our students.
“Although, we may not have done all we wanted for the students but so far we have done our best to raise the standard of their welfare. I thank you for the award; I don’t take it for granted.
“I also want to appreciate you for your support in my Senatorial ambition. What we’re doing is to just look for a greater platform to serve the people. For us, it’s all about quality service; something my Senatorial district has not been fortunate to enjoy. So, I thank you for the support, it’s a difficult task but I’m confident that there’s God’s hands in this hence, sure of victory. I won’t forget you even in the National Assembly”.
