The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, on Friday, said his government remains committed to restructuring the state-owned Ambrose Alli University to meet global standards, expressing satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing overhaul of the institution by the Special Intervention Team.
The governor had, on June 04, 2020, inaugurated the 10-man Special Intervention Team, set up to exercise all the powers and functions of the Governing Council of Ambrose Alli University, with a charge for them to advance the government’s vision to reposition the varsity into a world-class institution of learning and attract foreign partnerships.
Obaseki, who received an updated report from the chairman of the team, Mr. Andrew Olotu, at the Government House in Benin City, said the government will continue to support the committee to realize its mission.
According to him, “We are going to provide you with the key infrastructure needed to build a world-class university, so that we achieve our goal of using technology to change the future of the school.
“We had a problem with transparency and accountability in the finances of the institution; for anybody to just tell you that their problem, financially, just started a year ago, the person is not being honest. So, I want you to sit down and go through how monies that come into the university are spent.”
He continued: “I have listened to your presentations and I am convinced. Whatever support you want us to give you, we will give you; the feedback I get is that sanity is returning back to the university.
“I just want to applaud you. Do not get involved with the politics of the school; leave that to us. We will handle the politics. I just want to see that AAU is financially stable. I want to assure you that you have my full support in repositioning AAU.”
“I am encouraged by the work you have done so far, but there is a lot much more to be done. Whatever obstacles you find in the university, if you can’t remove them, be kind enough to come to me and I will help you remove them,” the governor reassured.
Earlier, Mr. Uyi Izekor, who gave a presentation on behalf of the team, said that they were working to ensure that students get value for their money while in school.
Izekor further said the team had put measures in place to activate a profound re-engineering academic programme, noting that the institution can generate funds to sustain its operations.