PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari has assured that his administration is doing everything possible to prioritise the welfare of staff of universities across the country.
But he charged the academic sector to wake up from its slumber and begin to evolve solutions to ailing sectors of the country.
President Buhari gave the charge on Tuesday at the Maiden Convocation/Founders Day Ceremonies of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State,
President Buhari, who is the Visitor to the university, was represented by the Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Chiedu Mafiana.
He charged FUPRE, the Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) and the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) to collaborate to meet the energy challenges facing the nation.
This, he said, was necessary as the trio were recognised as part of Federal Government’s strategic effort towards the development of local capacities and technologies in the petroleum industry,
According to him, “all the aforementioned government agencies in this core sector should harmonise and synergize to meet the increasing energy challenges of our nation, in order to justify the government’s investments in the development of local contents.
The university should be a catalyst for innovations and engine room for the Nigerian technological revolution in the oil and gas industry.
Energy is critical to nation building and also a major challenge to our nation at this time.
Nigeria has continued to be a net importer of refined petroleum products in addition to its poor levels of electricity generation.
I therefore task the university and other agencies to rise and surmount these challenges.”
Meanwhile, former Nigeria vice president, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Catholic Bishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, were among the five distinguished Nigerians decorated with various Honorary Degrees by FUPRE.
The event formed part of the maiden Convocation Ceremony of FUPRE, during which 795 grandaunts from six academic sets of the institution were presented with certificates.
Other Honorary Degrees all also went to the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, HRM Emmanuel Sideso, the President-General of the Urhobo Progress Union (UPU), and Sir Daniel Chukwudozie, the Chairman of Dozzy Group of Companies.
Former vice president, Alhaji Abubakar, charged the university to be a solution to the country in its race to reducing its “excessive reliance on crude petroleum export” by helping the country add value to the oil and gas industry.
He promised to build an oil and gas research centre for the institution as part of his support to the development of the university.
While, vice chancellor of FUPRE, Professor Akii Ibhadode highlighted the genesis and modest achievements of the institution, from March 14, 2007 to date in various fields of sciences and technology to include its roles in the advancement of the local content policy of the Federal Government, among others.