The Ibeno Traditional Rulers Council has offered a land to St. Thomas-a-Becket University, Canterbury, United Kingdom for the building of the permanent site of its African campus in Ibeno, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.
The Paramount Ruler of Ibeno Local Government Area and National Life Patron of Traditional Rulers of Oil Mineral Producing Communities of Nigeria (TROMPCON), His Royal Majesty, Owong (Dr.) Effiong Bassey Archianga, announced the donation during the institution’s 2021/2022 conferment of honour to professionals and convocation of students at the Onyema Ugochukwu Hall of the University of Uyo, on Saturday, February 5, 2022
Announcing the boost to the United Kingdom based University, which currently operates a distant learning programme in Africa, Prof Archianga said Ibeno would be honoured to play host to the prestigious University.
“Ibeno people, under my leadership, have donated sizeable parcels of land with uncompleted buildings for the permanent site of St. Thomas-a-Becket University in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria and Africa,” he said.
At the event which also featured induction into the institution’s hall of fame, HRM Archianga was conferred with a Honoris Causa Professorship Degree.
Related: TROMPCON Life Patron HRM Archianga Bags Professorship From UK University
Reacting to the investiture, while addressing the university and guests, the monarch hailed the high standards upheld over the centuries by the university.
“The exercise (conferment) today is not just an investiture of bogus title but a conferment of due status and honour to the awardees that have the requirement of acceptation or rejection,” he said even as he called on graduands and fellow awardees to be good ambassadors of the institution.
Archianga further harped on the need for an affiliation programme to exist between the University of Uyo and St. Thomas-a-Becket University.
Other professorial awardees were Dr Efiong Asukwo Eyefoki and Dr Iwara Abam Iwara while ESV Victor Archibong Mkpong bagged doctoral award.
Excerpt from an abridged profile of St. Thomas-a-Becket University, indicates that it is named after Thomas-a-Becket (1162AD-1170 AD), Archbishop of Canterbury, who was martyred at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170 AD. The university is registered as St.Thomas-a-Becket Educational Services, and is internationally accredited by Lutheran University, France.
