Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State Tuesday declared the support of his administration to the Wigwe University ,a new private university to achieve its objectives of establishment in the State.
Wike,who spoke at Isiokpo in Ikwerre Local Government Area while laying the Foundation stone for the Wigwe university, said that issues of education were very important to his administration because of its belief that nothing can measure the quantity of human capital development that education can offer.
The Rivers Governor noted that with the Wigwe University coming on stream, Rivers State has two private universities saying that a state like Rivers will encourage the establishment of more private universities. .
He said the courage of the owner of Wigwe University, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Access (Bank) Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, for returning home with such investment to the benefit of the State was salutary adding that the state government will not hesitate to partner with the Wigwe university just as it did with PAMO University of Medical Sciences, the first private university in the state.
The governor reiterated that the state sponsors at least 120 students yearly at PAMO
He emphasised that the State government will not hesitate to also partner with the Wigwe university and said that when the state partners with Wigwe university, it will be to the benefit of the state
“See the partnership we have with PAMO University every year, not less than 120 persons Rivers State government is sponsoring as medical doctors, pharmacists and other allied courses. You can imagine when we have same partnership with you, what at the end of the day, Rivers State will benefit.
“That is what we intend to do with you. Luckily, the governor-elect is here. When the university starts, tell us the number of Rivers students and Rivers State government will be responsible for then by placing them on scholarship. We have a lot of people who are intelligent but their parents may not have the school fees. It is important that Rivers State government will partner with you.”
On a request for construction of access road made by Wigwe to the university, Wike assured that the road would be constructed by the State government.
The governor slammed those who try to demarket the state on grounds of insecurity describing them as mischievous pointing out that there is no state in Nigeria that does not have issues of insecurity.
“You said somebody asked you what you are doing concerning the university? That person is a wicked man. Where is there no insecurity in this country?
“The other day, we heard of people being killed in Plateau State, people killed in Benue and other people killed in Kaduna . The same person is asking you what about security, is his state safer than our own State?”
The Governor , however, warned that the State government will not hesitate within the ambit of the law to deal ruthlessly with any criminal element that tries to frustrate the seamless take off of the Wigwe University.
Delivering his address, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Access (Bank) Holdings, Herbert Wigwe, said the Wigwe University, would be a world class educational institution with 60 percent Nigerian academic lecturers and 40 percent distinguished foreign lecturers.
He disclosed that about 200 different buildings have been determined for construction on the 400 hectares of land upon which the university is located.
Wigwe also said students of the institution will spend one year of their academic period on exchange abroad in order for them to gain international exposure.
Also making a remark, the former group managing director and chief executive officer of Access Bank Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, said the remarkable infrastructural development of governor Wike inspired Wigwe to establish the world class university in Isiokpo.
He advised eminent sons and daughters of Rivers State who possess great material wealth to emulate Wigwe by investing in the State.
