From INIOBONG SUNDAY, UYO
The former Vice chancellor, VC, of the University of Uyo, UNIUYO, Prof. Akpan Hogan Ekpo, has pulled out of the institution, after attaining the mandatory age of 70, but looking back with deep sense of nostalgia, he recalled that smashing fake certificate and admission syndicate was the most challenging and life – threatening.
Ekpo, who turned 70 on Wednesday, admid accolades by friends, colleagues and associates at different ceremonies organized by the institution in his honour as part of activities marking his formal exit from the school via retirement, said he was bugged down by rots – cultism, examination and certificate frauds as well as sexual harrasment cases, but expressed thanks to God that he was able to clean the system to restore the integrity of the institution and its products.
He disclosed that while attempting to deal with the issue of certificate racketeering, which he described as ‘Toronto Certificate’, he was called and warned by a senior official of the Department of State Services (DSS) against embarking on the sanitation exercise as he could be killed in the process by the racketeers.
Speaking while reflecting on the issue and others during a Valedictory session and presentation of his book titled; “Essays in Public Finance, A Ttribute to Professor Akpan Ekpo”, which was organized by the department of Economics of the University, the outgoing former VC, appreciated God for standing by him to trash the issue.
He said: “Cultism was a very big deal, but the issue of certificate racketeering was the major problem, I don’t think I have ever said it before. When I started the attempt to check the problem, someone from the DSS called me, Prof, leave it alone; this has been going on for more than 13 years, before they kill you, but I said thank you sir, nobody lives forever, I will do my best.
”When we trashed the issue, he called me and said do you have any juju? I said no, I only carried the Bible and he was surprised. That was what we did to retain the quality and integrity of the University. It was not easy, but we thank God that we are here. The issue of sorting was also a big problem, but we had to work on it”
While acknowledging all for being part of the efforts to raise the standard of the University, Ekpo, specifically appreciated the Vice Chancellor, Prof Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, for sustaining the standard of the Institution.
In his remarks, the VC, while appreciating God for His enormous blessings upon the celebrants, described Ekpo, as an “Icon and a legend whose contributions towards shaping the economic and financial policies of Nigeria have been worthwhile.”
“In fact, professor Akpan Ekpo, is an Icon, a colossus, in fact, a legend because some of the policies we had in Nigeria, in Economics and Public Finance were from him, so on his own he has provided blocks to enable this country come up the way it is today,” Ndaeyo stressed.
Earlier, in his welcome address, the head, department of Economics of the University, Dr Paul Orebiyi, while described Ekpo as a titan and juggernaut, noting he is worth celebrating because of his contributions to public finance and the subject of Economics generally.
Eulogies for the retiring Ekpo, also flowed from the Dean of Social Sciences, Prof. Chris Ekong; former Dean of Students’ Affairs, Prof. Effiong Johnson, and other associates from the University of Lagos and other walks of life including far – away Namibia .
