The Cross River State Government has inaugurated an interim committee to manage personnel and assets in the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Cross River State, Obubra Campus, being the proposed site for the State College of Agriculture, Obubra.
The Commissioner for Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Hon Johnson Andiambey Ebokpo, while inaugurating the Committee in his office in Calabar, informed that "In order to close manpower gaps in the agricultural sector, the State Executive Council led by Governor Bassey Edet Otu approved the establishment of College of Agriculture, Obubra".
He disclosed that the bill for its establishment of the College has already been passed into law by the State House of Assembly and awaiting the Governor's assent.
"This decision necessitated the current relocation of the Faculty of Agriculture, Unicross and the need for an interim management committee to be set up until a substantive management structure is appointed and put in place," he explained.
As the Commissioner of the supervisory Ministry, Ebokpo charged the committee members with the terms of reference to receive the handing over notes from the faculty of Agriculture, University of Cross River State, Obubra which is a proposed site of the college of Agriculture; manage the personnel and assets of the proposed site as well as handover the personnel and assets to the substantive management of the College once they are appointed.
The committee is also charged with the responsibility to determine and establish the liabilities in the proposed site, if any and also carry out any other activity to safeguard the assets at the campus.
He called on all security agencies in the State to take note of the recent development and cooperate with the committee as the need arises.
The committee which is chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation Development, Mr. Ekpe Bassey and co-chaired by Prof. Irom Bassey Okey has the following members: Prof. John Shiyam, Mr. Victor Oden Adekpe, Mr Oyama Enang Echem, Mr. Joseph Abam, Dr. Dan Nicholas Obun, Mr. Cliff Oyira and Mr. Christopher Achong as Secretary.
Responding after the inauguration and Charge, the Committee Chairman, Ekpe Bassey thanked the State Government for trusting them with such an assignment and pledged their full preparedness in the discharge of their assigned duties.
Blessing Enagu
