President Muhammadu Buhari has appointed approved the appointment of Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, (FUPRE) Delta State.
NAN reports that Rim-Rukeh is 4th substantive Vice Chancellor of FUPRE.
Prof. Shehu Zuru, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council disclosed this while briefing newsmen in Abuja, on Friday.
“ The council has just concluded a tedious task of selecting the best from the array of applications it has received for the declared vacancy of the office of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources Effurn.
“ After a thorough guided process, we are happy to announce that governing council of the university have found someone that is qualified, both in character and academic profile that fits the position of the Vice Chancellor of that university.
“He is prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh , who have just been appointed by this governing council as the new Vice Chancellor of FUPRE,’’ he said
According to him, the greatest happiness of the council is the absence of rancor in the process of selection for the university.
This, he attributed to the ability of the council to manage the differences and arrive at a consensus by choosing someone that could be entrusted with the responsibility of securing the future and prosperity of the university.
He commended the outgoing Vice chancellor, Prof.Akii Ibhadode for his effort in making the university achieve so many things under his leadership and forming a united front in selecting a new Vice Chancellor.
He further commended the selected council members that worked hard to get things done well.
In his remarks, Ibhadode said that the smooth selection of the Vice elect was an indication for better years ahead for the institution.
“The council has been able to bring forth someone who I believe will move this university from where it is now to greater heights and for the last five years, we have laid down structure for the university.
“I am very confident that the choice of the Vice Chancellor the council has come up with is going to deal on those structures that we have built in the past five years.
“I say this because, he is someone who have worked so closely with me in many areas and has learnt the ropes to be a Vice Chancellor. I think the right choice has been made and I believe that he will be able to discharge his duty and I pray that God will help him,’’ he added.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor elect Rim-Rukeh assured that he would consolidate on the existing structures to move the institution to a world class university.
He thanked the governing council for the selecting and urged everyone to join in the fight to bring positive change to the school.
He said that while in office, he would focus on six point agenda that would help bring the status of the university to international standard.
The six point agenda, he said were building academic excellent environment for conducive teaching and learning, enhanced research innovative that would benefit the society and increase funding for the development of the university.
Also, in the agenda are, increase international studentship, Industry and Academic relationship and Retainer and recruit of international staff for exchange programmes.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Rim-Rukeh before the appointment was a professor of Microbial Corrosion and Environmental Studies at FUPRE.
He obtained a Bachelors Degree in Biochemistry in 1986 in University of Port Harcourt and Post Graduate Diploma in Education in Delta State University Abaraka in 2004.
He also got a post Graduate Diplomat in Chemisty from university of Benin in 1993, Master’s degree in Chemistry Engineering from University of Port Harcourt in 1998 and Ph.D in Chemistry Engineering from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt in 2008.
