By Sam Tyav, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Professor Leonard Karshima Shilgba as Acting Vice Chancellor (Ag VC), University of Agriculture Science and Technology (UAST), Ihugh.
The Ag VC would take over from Dr. Qrisstuberg Msughter Amua who has been relieved of his appointment “for administrative reasons.”
A statement by Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the governor, Tersoo Kula, which disclosed these, disclosed that the appointment takes immediate effect.
Professor Shilgba, according to the statement, is a “Professor of Mathematics, university administrator, scholar, author, educationist, and academic leader.”
The Ag VC, according to the governor’s spokesman, hails from Ushongo Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State and has had a distinguished academic and administrative career spanning over three decades.
His academic trajectory, Kula revealed, includes a advanced postdoctoral research experience, adding that in 2009, Shilgba was awarded a Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) Fellowship, through which he undertook postdoctoral research in Japan.
According to the statement, the Ag VC’s experience in university leadership has also included participation in strategic planning and institutional development at a period of significant transformation in Nigerian higher education just as he also contributed to establishing UAST Ihugh.
”In 2017, President Buhari appointed Professor Shilgba as the Chairman of the 9th Governing Board of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board (NABTEB), where he served with vision, distinction, and uncompromising disposition.”
The statement added that Gov. Alia, who is the Visitor to the university and who also congratulated the Ag VC, stated that “this is a position of great responsibility, and we trust you will lead with wisdom, integrity, and fairness.”
“As you assume this office, I urge you to provide steady leadership, strengthen academic excellence, and promote unity among staff and students,” the governor stated.
Alia, the statement continued, encouraged Prof. Shilgba “to ensure he prioritizes the welfare of all members of the university and works diligently to uphold the values and reputation of the institution.”
*PHOTO CAPTION: Prof. Shilgba.
