Obi, Obiano Congratulates Prof. Egbu As Vice Chancellor Of UK Varsity

The Governor of Anambra State, Chief  Willie Obiano, and his predecessor, Peter Obi have congratulated Professor Charles Egbu on his appointment as the first black Vice-Chancellor of a British University.

Prof. Egbu, a Professor of Quantity Surveying, will on November first assume duties as the Vice-Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University in England.

Governor Obiano in a statement signed by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Mr. C- Don Adinuba, described it as a great moment for not only the government and people of Anambra State but also all Nigerians and indeed, Africans and Blacks across the globe.

He said that Professor Egbu’s emergence is a game-changer in the history of higher education. He maintained that Professor Egbu reminds all Africans of when Professor Kenneth Onwuka Dike, another worthy indigene of Anambra State, became the first African and Black Principal of the University College, Ibadan, and later emerged the first African and Black Vice-Chancellor of the University, which was established in 1948.

Governor  Obiano expressed confidence that Professor Egbu, who hails from Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area, will excel in his new role and consequently Market Anambra State to the International Community in a most uncanny way.

The Former vice-presidential candidate Peter Obi in a statement on Thursday by his special adviser Valentine Obienyem said he was overjoyed when he heard the news of Egbu’s appointment, which he described as a clear reward for excellence, commitment and focus.

Commenting on Egbu’s achievements and that of many Nigerians making waves abroad, Obi said: “It simply corroborates what the literary icon, Prof. Chinua Achebe, said, that nothing is wrong with the air Nigerians breathe, nor the water we drink. Our problems are mostly self-inflicted, arising from leadership failures and our inability to rise above our weaknesses.”

The former Anambra State governor encouraged Prof Egbu who hails from Abatete in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra to give his best in his new position.

Beyond the eulogies and celebrations, Obi called on Nigerian youths to “see the likes of Prof Egbu as role models, and stop looking up to some politicians hell-bent on enriching their insatiable pockets at the expense of the poor masses.”

He added that “such personalities as Egbu who have defied all odds and conquered their limitations through hard work deserve the adulation and admiration of youths.”