The National University Commission has recognised Imo State Government as the owner of Kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University, Ogboko, in the state.
There had been controversy over the ownership, between the state and former Governor Rochas Okorocha.
The citadel founded in 2016, when Okorocha was governor, was earlier named the Eastern Palm University, with Okorocha saying it was founded on a PPP arrangement in which his Rochas Okorocha had 90 per cent ownership, and Imo, 10.
The matter was, however, laid to rest yesterday December 9, as the operating certificate for the university was handed over to Imo State through Governor Hope Uzodimma by the National Universities Commission (NUC).
A visit to the university’s website shows that it is the new order that is reflected.
The website of ‘Eastern Palm University’ was said to be, on Friday, December 10, ‘suspended’.
But the Wikipedia describes it as “The university was approved by the National Universities Commission in 2016 and became the 42nd state owned university and the 143 university in Nigeria. It was founded by former executive governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State.”
On Wednesday, however, the NUC Executive Secretary, Prof Abubakar Rasheed, presented the certificate to the Governor Hope Uzodinma, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said it would end the tussle between the former Governor and the state government over who owns the institution.
Rasheed said, “By a copy of this letter, the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are being notified of this development.”
The NUC Secretary also assured Governor Uzodinma of the commission’s readiness to assist the state in its educational strides.
On Kingsley’s website, it is noted that it was established on 18th February, 2021 by the enactment of Kingsley Ozumba (KO) Mbadiwe University (Establishment) Law No. 1 of 2021 of Imo State as a multi-Campus University with the main Campus at Ogboko in Ideato South Local Government Area (LGA) of Imo State, Nigeria.
‘This Law repealed the Eastern Palm University (Establishment) Law No. 13 of 2016. The defunct Eastern Palm University was recognized by the National Universities Commission (NUC) as the 42nd State University in Nigeria and 143rd in the Nigerian University System. Statutorily, the erstwhile Eastern Palm University by recent developments has changed to become Kingsley Ozumba (KO) University, Ideato South LGA, Imo State, Nigeria.”
