Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, is set to experience uninterrupted power supply following the approval of 1.5 megawatts of alternative energy by Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo.
The Vice Chancellor of AAU, Professor Sunday Olowo Samuel, disclosed this at a press briefing in Ekpoma, noting that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) has also approved the construction of solar plants for the institution.
Prof. Samuel assured that the new energy projects would significantly boost academic and administrative activities while reducing dependence on erratic public power supply.
Meanwhile, the VC addressed the recent incident of a body found within the institution’s premises, clarifying that the deceased was not a student of the university. He explained that investigations revealed the victim was brought from Ubiaja, and the suspects have been arrested and handed over to the State CID. In response, management has tightened campus security and restricted students from driving vehicles into the institution.
Restoring AAU’s Glory
The Vice Chancellor highlighted several reforms under his administration aimed at restoring AAU to its founding vision of becoming a world-class university. He attributed recent progress to the increased state government subvention of N500 million, which enabled the institution to clear inherited financial backlogs, including payment of salaries, pensions, the new minimum wage, and reinstatement of politically sacked staff.
He also announced:
- International Partnerships: AAU has signed an MoU with Jilin Institute of Chemical Technology (JLICT) and Mutual Commitment Company Limited for student and faculty exchange programs, capacity building, and scholarships.
- NYSC Mobilisation: Thousands of graduates with blocked JAMB profiles or regularisation issues have been cleared to proceed for NYSC service. Certificates and transcripts are now being issued promptly.
- Academic Reforms: For the first time in AAU’s history, missing results have been fully resolved, starting from the 2023/2024 session.
- TETFund Access Restored: With the lifting of a previous ban, staff can now access funding for conferences, training, and research.
- Medical and Nursing Programmes: Significant progress has been made in the College of Medicine, including the swearing-in of new doctors and nurses. The Nursing Council has approved admissions into Nursing Science for 120 students starting in the 2024/2025 session. The university is also awaiting final approval to resume admissions into Medicine and Surgery.
- Staff Promotions: The management has promoted 57 staff to Professor and 56 to Associate Professor, while also releasing pending promotions for academic and non-teaching staff.
- Reinstatement of Staff: All staff dismissed during the tenure of the defunct Special Intervention Team (SIT) have been reinstated, including those wrongly removed from the payroll.
International Recognition
Prof. Samuel further revealed that AAU recently participated in the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference in Tianjin, China, with full sponsorship from the Edo State Government. He noted that only three Nigerian universities were represented at the global event, with AAU proudly among them.
The Vice Chancellor reaffirmed his commitment to repositioning AAU for excellence, pledging to uphold transparency, academic integrity, and innovation in line with the vision of its founding fathers.
