BY COBHAM NSA – Chairman Revenue Mobilization Allocation And Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Dr. Mohammed Bello Shehu (OFR) has added a new feather to his cap with the Honorary Ambassador Award conferred on him by one of Nigeria’s premier private Universities, Igbinedion University Okada (IUO), Edo State.
The award was presented to Dr Shehu in Abuja when the IUO’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Lawrence Ikechukwu Ezemonye, led a delegation of the University’s management to his office on Tuesday, 21st January 2025.
According to Prof Ezenmonye, in line with the University’s development trajectory, the management deemed it necessary to establish the Honorary Ambassador of IUO position to recognize personalities who have demonstrated commitment to educational excellence and distinguished themselves in service to the nation.
He said at the occasion that; “The Premier Private University, in its due diligence search, has considered you as most worthy of this honour of being its Honorary Ambassador. This is predicated on your profile as a consummate technocrat and more importantly, as a distinguished alumnus of our great university.
“As Honorary Ambassador of IUO, you will be expected, amongst other things, to promote and project the image and standing of the University while advancing its interest”.
Reacting to the award, Dr Mohammed Shehu, who pledged his readiness to advance the course of IUO, extolled the ideals of the institution’s founding fathers and expressed his appreciation to the management and staff of the institution for finding him worthy of the recognition accorded him.
The RMAFC boss said; “The most important thing that we can do for the society is to impact knowledge. If we had sustained what our forefathers started many years ago, probably all the issues that are being discussed in Nigeria today wouldn’t have come up.
“We have great minds, great talents and great institutions, but somehow, along the line, we allowed the university system to derail.”
While expressing gratitude to God that some higher institutions like the IUO have maintained high standards of education despite the challenges confronting the sector in Nigeria, the Chairman praised the foresight of the founding fathers of the university.
In his words; “It is really remarkable to have started this institution 25 years ago and considering the positive transformation that has been recorded so far, I think the management of the university should be commended.
“I assure you that I would do whatever I can to assist in whatever capacity, to market, to propagate, to help and to project the image of the University wherever I am”.
A statement by Umar Maryam Yusuf, Head, Information and Public Relations, RMAFC said encomiums were poured on the Commission’s Chairman by personalities present who variously described him a “humble, amiable and detribalised person”
Among those who graced the event were the IUO’s Registrar/Secretary of Council, Professor Friday Beni Bakari; other members of the institution’s delegation, including Prof Deborah Omotsefe Odejimi, Dean School of Post Graduate Studies and Professor Femi Olufunmilade as well as senior officials of RMAFC.
Highlight of the visit was official presentation of the appointment letter to RMAFC Chairman, Dr Shehu as Honorary Ambassador of IUO.
