Commending Gov Uzodimma for appointing Prof. Christopher Eze as VC University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo
By Peter Dibia
I always believe that opportunity of tomorrow only favours those who prepared for it either today or yesterday. Living a life of integrity when no man is watching pays off good, in due time.
Moreso, many people are yet to understand that ingratitude is a sin. Any good human like Senator Hope Uzodimma, the Governor of Imo State, will always do that which makes people happy, as well brings glory to God.
The essence of education is not only for academic activities, but it helps in shaping and positioning a society to a limelight. Apart from its knowledge benefits, education also creates room for economic development and growth through the creation of employment.
It is on record that sometime last year, precisely on November, 2022, Governor. Hope Uzodimma, in his quest to fulfil the promise he made to Imo people during his inaugural speech in 2019, when he publicly declared that education system in Imo State would be a win win thing- with students getting qualitative education, lecturers and parents being happy.
Part of the manifestation of the Governor’s promise was the appointment of one of the best Professors from Okigwe Zone to head the institution. This appointment will not only position the school to be one of the best in the country, but the world at large.
As a member of Okigwe Media Practitioners, it is always my manner to support and laud good policies of a performing leader from Okigwe extraction and beyond.
Your Excellency, many people who have lived with intergrity over the years have expressed their happiness and joy over your determination to appoint someone who has integrity to be the Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, Ohaji.
Thank you so much sir, for appointing a top-notch Professor with the capacity of bringing the desired transformation and change in the institution.
Recently, the Okigwe Media Practitioners both in Imo State and beyond, visited the institution to thank God and share in the happiness of our brother over his appointment. But to our chagrin, he is already working together with his team. He told us how he has successfully installed a solar power plant for the students living in the school hostels, he also informed us about his policies to make the school the best both in learning and empowering the students with agricultural skills.
This made me to go home rejoicing and to use my pen not only to thank God, but also the governor for Prof. C. C. Eze’s appointment.
Your Execllency, indeed your 3Rs mantra of rehabilitation, reconstruction and recovery of Imo State has not only been achieved 80-90 percent, but has left every average good imolite in a happy mood.
On my investigation about the new Vice Chancellor, Prof. C. C. Eze, studied in Nigeria and abroad with myriads of certificates such as FSLC, WASC, B. Agric (Agricultural Economics), M.Sc., and PhD in Agricultural Economics, SMES, Management and Development. He is also a Barrister at Law, having graduated from Nigerian Law School Abuja in 2008. This shows his dynamism in science and arts. Prof. C. C. Eze became full-fledged Professor of Agricultural Economics in 2011 in the Department of Agricultural Economics, Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri.
Conversely, he has held many leadership and administrative positions in both political and academic worlds. Among such positions are Commissioner of Commerce and Industry under Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s administration; Chairman, Implementation Committee on Establishment of Imo State College of Education, Ihitte Uboma; Dean, Postgraduate School, FUTO and Industrial Liaison Officer, FUTO, as well as Head of Department of Agricultural Economics FUTO, Director Center for Entrepreneurial studies.
Prof. Eze is a FUTO Laureate of European Union Erasmus mundus, he also worked for United Nations Development Programme (UNPD) as Economist. He is an active member and fellow of many professional associations such as Farm Management Association of Nigeria; Life Member, Agricultural Society of Nigeria; Life Member, Nigerian Association of Agricultural Economists; Member, Special Public Works Presidential Programme; Member, Presidential Visitation Panel, Federal University of Lokoja; Member, Implementation Committee for the take-off of University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo Ohaji (which he is the Vice Chancellor today) and Member, 6th Governing Board of National Commission for Colleges and Education, Member 11th Governing Council of FUTO.
Other professional associations that Prof. Eze belongs include Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Nigerian Bar Association, National Council of Commerce and Industry, Agricultural Policy Research Network, among others.
Prof. Eze is an academic guru and researcher per excellence with multiple scholastic output. He has authored and published two scholarly and globally recognized books on Agribusiness Management (2018) and Dynamics of Agribusiness, Finance and Farm Assets (2016). He has to his credit well over 113 peer-reviewed published articles in local, international and high impact journals. He was the inaugural lecturer of the 24th Inaugural Lecture of Federal University of Technology, Owerri.
Prof. Eze has undertaken many consultancy projects as a Team Leader, Evaluation Team Member, Consultant, Economist, Agricultural Economist, Researcher, Coordinator and Presenter for National Board for Community Banks, Federal Ministry of Agriculture, International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), USAID, etc.
He has received many academic awards such as CODESRIA Laureate for Small Grants, Best M. Sc. Student, Support Africa International Award on Ecology, World Bank Excellence in Sustainable Procurement, etc.
His community life never went unrewarded, as his community bestowed two traditional titles on him, as the Agugoeshichukwu II after his father’s death which enable him to replace his father in the Eze’s cabinet. In due time, he was also crowned Ugo Nmuta I of his community, for facilitating the creation of Elugwu/ Umuchienta autonomous community in 2011.
The Professor of Agricultural Economics has been an Editor-in-Chief of FUTO Journal of Food and Agriculture and FUTO International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Development Studies. He has been and still is an External Examiner/Assessor/Visiting Professor to many universities such as Imo State University, Owerri; Ghent University, Belgium; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; Enugu State University of Technology; Federal University of Agriculture, Akure; Kogi and Ebonyi State Universities; University of Agriculture, Makurdi; Forestry Research Institute of Nigeria; University of Abuja among others.
University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo, is therefore, privileged to have a professor with unparalleled and unequaled versatility, academic and administrative ingenuity, kind hearted, green and eco-friendly agriculturalist and an advocate of green revolution.
Prof. C. C. Eze is a Nigerian, an Imo indigene from Ihitte Uboma, born in Kano State, he is happily married and the marriage is blessed with three lovely children.
My good people of Imo State, you can now agree with me that indeed Prof. C.C. Eze is the best for the job and Governor Hope Uzodimma’s taste for good things cannot be rated low.
