




Mbaise Imo State, Nigeria
Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Professor Viola Onwuliri, has joined the project Planning and Implementation Committee for the proposed Mbaise University, Imo State, being initiated by the Mbaise People’s Congress (MPC).
Professor Onwuliri, also a former Minister for Education and an ex-Commissioner for Education, was drafted to the Committee by the Mbaise Policy Roundtable (MPR), a non-governmental organization with offices in Owerri Imo State, Nigeria and New York USA, following a request from the MPC for an expert to represent MPR in the team that will facilitate the establishment of the Mbaise University.
Professor Onwuliri is joining 16 other highly regarded members of the Committee selected by the MPC to birth the University.
Inaugurating the Planning and Implementation Committee recently, the National President of MPC, Ochiagha Carl Azudibia, said it is one of the requirements of the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the submission of the Private University Form and subsequent licensing of the institution.
“Everyone who is a member of this committee has been carefully selected as a worthy son or daughter of Mbaise who possesses the capacity and the integrity to deliver on this mandate. While constituting this committee, MPC looked at past track records, love for father land and ability to deliver, in choosing members of this great committee,” he said, stressing that without doubt, the team, made up of “Captains of Industry, Technocrats and distinguished Academics which includes two former Ministers of Education in Nigeria is well positioned to deliver a World Class University to the good people of Mbaise in record time.”
He said that the committee is to be Chaired by distinguished Professor Chinwe Obaji, a former Minister of Education; that the Vice Chairperson is an erudite Scholar and Renowned Professor of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, Professor Valentine Onyemaechi Ekechukwu, while the Secretary of the team is a distinguished Banker and Chartered Accountant, Ochiagha Ano Anyanwu.
The MPC President revealed that the Congress has already “acquired, through the assistance and provision of the wonderful people of Ife Community and The Anglican Church Ife Diocese, 104 hectares of land in Ife Ezinihitte Mbaise for the purpose of the establishment of the University of Mbaise.”
The land, he continued, has been surveyed and registered with the Imo State Government, and has also been valued for N1.6 billion by Chartered Estate valuers as at 2021. Ochiagha Azudibia confirmed that the Congress has equally bought the Private University Form from the NUC, Abuja as well as invited NUC approved consultants who have visited the site physically and produced a master plan for the University, Environmental Impact Assessment, Academic Brief and University Law as required by NUC.
Professor Onwuliri, commenting, thanked the President and the entire MPC team on behalf of the Mbaise Policy Round Table and its Convener, Professor Eddie Oparaoji, for the inclusive mindset of MPC on the project and “for a good and visionary job,” promising that “as partners in the passion to develop Mbaise into a world class Community in a third world country, we will put in our best to ensure the success of this wonderful project.”
Other members of the University of Mbaise Planning and Implementation Committee are the MPC President Ochiagha Carl Azudibia, Her Excellency Professor Viola Onwuliri, HRH Eze Professor Benjamin Nwachukwu, Obinna Anyanwu, Professor Julian Osuji, Surv Joe Anosike, Professor Polycarp Nwoha, Barr Kester Enwereonu, Sir Stanley Amuchie, Engr Dr Johnny Chukwu, Professor Godwin Chukwu, Professor Damian Dike, Mr Frank Ihekwoaba and Mr. Frank Nneji.
The MPR is the premier pre-eminent Mbaise Public Policy and Business Advisory Council in the World, focused entirely on the development of Mbaise and Imo State, through the facilitation of financial and in-kind resources, private investments and private public partnerships.