First UNICAL female VC, Obi, assumes office

Prof. Florence Banku Obi on Tuesday assumed office as the 11th vice chancellor of the University of Calabar. She is the first female vice chancellor of the 45 years old university.

Besides the Pro-Chancellor of the University, Senator Nkachi Nwoagu, other dignitaries at the event are the Minister of State for Power, Prince Goody Agba, the Deputy Governor of Cross River State, Prof. Ivara Esu, the former governor of the state, Donald Duke, and his wife, Onari; the Speaker of Cross River State House of Assembly, Hon. Eteng Jonas William; and Senator Florence Ita-Giwa.

The new VC said, “I accept and consider this call as an opportunity to plough in with greater intensity and dynamism, and to mobilize and channel our creative energies in ideas, vision and action to put our institution on a higher pedestal of reckoning.”

She also said, “My inauguration as the 11th vice-chancellor of the University of Calabar bestows on me the obligation to provide academic, administrative and financial leadership in this citadel of learning for the next five years.

“It is particularly a great responsibility for me, for the special reason that this is the first time a woman is taking over the mantle of leadership in a university ruled by male Vice-Chancellor for the past 45 years.”