Gov Bello renames Kogi University after Abubakar Audu

Yahaya Bello, Kogi State governor

Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Friday renamed the Kogi State University, Ayangba, after the late first civilian governor of the state, Prince Abubakar Audu.

Bello announced the change in the name of the 15-year-old university during a statewide broadcast to mark his victory at the state governorship election petition tribunal.

He said that naming the university was the ultimate honour that could be done to the memory of the late colourful politician who ruled the state twice as the civilian governor from 1991 to 1993 and 1999 to 2003.

Audu himself established the university in 2001 and named it Prince Abubakar Audu University but his successor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris changed the name to Kogi State University in 2004.

Justifying his decision to restore the university to its original name, Bello said that Audu laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the state.

“Today, and as always, I celebrate the life and times of Prince Abubakar Audu, the first Executive Governor of Kogi State.

“It is our hope that those who want to lay claim to his legacy will at least develop the same heart for the growth and development of Kogi State that he demonstrated through his lifetime,” he said.

According to the governor, an executive bill will soon be forwarded to the house of assembly to formalise the change in the name of the university.

Audu, who was the candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) in the Nov. 21, 2015 governorship election in the state, died suddenly on Nov. 22 before the result of the election was announced.

The leadership of the APC consequently substituted the name of Audu with that of Yahaya Bello as the candidate in the supplementary governorship election held on Dec. 5, 2015.

The governor also used the broadcast to thank the people of the state for their support and understanding since his assumption of office in January.

He said that since the five petitions filed against him had been thrown out for lack of merit, the state was now set to witness a new direction and accelerated development.

According to Bello, a blueprint of the administration which will kick start creation of one million jobs for the unemployed youths will be unveiled by next week.

He called on all those who lost at the tribunal, irrespective of their political affiliations, to join hands with him to develop the state, saying “there was no victor, no vanquish.”