It wasn’t easy tackling certificate racketeering at UNIUYO, says ex-VC

Renowned Economist and former vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo Professor Akpan Ekpo has revealed how he was able to check certificate racketeering and retain the university’s integrity despite efforts to frustrate the move.

He disclosed that while attempting to deal with the issue (certificate racketeering) as the VC then, someone called and advised him not to do it in order not to lose his life.

Speaking while reflecting on the issue and others during a Validatory Seminar and book presentation titled “Essays in Public Finance ‘ a tribute to Professor Akpan Ekpo, which was organised by the Department of Economics of the university, the outgoing professor appreciated God for standing by him to trash the issue.

He said, ” Cultism was a very big deal, but the issue of certificate racketeering was the major problem. I don’t think I have ever said it before.

“When I started the attempt to check the problem, someone in the state called me, prof, leave it alone; this has been going on for more than 13 years before they killed you, but I said thank you, sir, nobody lives forever, I will do my best.

”When we trashed the issue, he called me and said do you have any juju? I said no, I only carried the bible, and he was surprised. That was what we did to retain the quality and integrity of the university. It was not easy, but we thank God that we are here. The sorting issue was also a big problem, but we had to work on it.”

While acknowledging everyone for contributing to the efforts to raise the university’s standard, Ekpo specifically appreciated the vice-chancellor, Professor Nyaudoh Ndaeyo, for sustaining the institution’s standard.

In his remarks, the VC, Prof Ndaeyo, while appreciating God for His enormous blessing upon the celebrants, described him as an ‘Icon and a legend’ whose contributions towards shaping Nigeria’s economic and financial policies have been worthwhile.

“In fact, Professor Akpan Ekpo is an Icon, a colossus, in fact, a legend because some of the policies we had in Nigeria, in Economics and Public Finance are from him, so on his own, he has provided blocks to enable this country come up the way it is today,” Ndaeyo said.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the head of the Department of Economics of the university, Dr Paul Orebiyi, while describing Professor Akpan Ekpo as a titan and juggernaut, noted that Ekpo is worth celebrating because of his contributions to public finance and the subject of Economics generally.

The Validatory Seminar was attended by Professor Ekpo’s relatives, friends, and associates from academia across Nigerian Universities.