Buhari appoints Rim-Rukeh as FUPRE VC | EduCeleb
EduCeleb
21st March 2020
President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Akpofure Rim-Rukeh as the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE), Delta State.
Rim-Rukeh is 4th substantive Vice-Chancellor of FUPRE and was duly selected by the university’s governing council.
Shehu Zuru, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council at FUPRE 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, Effurun.
“After a thorough guided process, we are happy to announce that governing council of the university has found someone that is qualified, both in character and academic profile that fits the position of the Vice Chancellor of that university.
“He is professor  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 rancour 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 council members that worked hard to get things done.
In his remarks, Ibhadode said that the smooth selection of the Vice Chancellor was an indication of 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 has 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, 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 selecting him and urged everyone to join in the fight to bring positive changes 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 include: building excellent academic environment for conducive teaching and learning, enhanced research innovation that would benefit the society and increased funding for the development of the university.
Also, in the agenda are increased international studentship, industry and academic relationship and retaining and recruitment of international staff for exchange programmes.
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 Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry in 1986 in University of Port Harcourt and Post Graduate Diploma in Education in Delta State University Abraka in 2004.
He also got a post Graduate Diploma in Chemistry from university of Benin in 1993, Master’s degree in Chemistry Engineering from University of Port Harcourt in 1998 and PhD in Chemistry Engineering from Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, in 2008.