By Felix Khanoba
The Governing Council of University of Abuja (UniAbuja) has approved the appointment of Professor Clement Barikuma Alawa and Professor Abubakar Sadeeque Abba as Deputy Vice-Chancellors Academic and Administration, respectively.
The Council’s approval followed the endorsement of the Vice-Chancellor’s request to the Senate for the re-appointment of Professor Alawa for a further period of two years after a successful two years in the first instance.
Professor Abba was elected by the Senate at its 67th Extra Ordinary meeting held on Wednesday 24th February 2021.
A statement by the Registrar Mallam Yahya Ibrahim Mohammed, and made available to The AUTHORITY by Dr Habib Yakoob, Head, Information and University Relations,
said that the appointments were confirmed at the 89th Regular Meeting of the Governing Council held on Monday 1st March 2021.
Both appointments took effect from 1st March 2021 for a period of two years.
The statement said Alawa is a professor of Animal Production was born on 11th January 1961 in Bodo-Ogoni, Rivers State. He is a graduate of Veterinary Medicine from the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria (1988), and holds a Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Animal Science from the same University in 1994 and 2003 respectively.
He was said to have begun his career as an Assistant Research Fellow at the National Animal Research Institute, Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Shika – Zaria, between 1989 and 1994, rising to the rank of a Principal Research Fellow in 2006 and Professor in 2009.
Alawa who joined the service of the University of Abuja in 2013, was also at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA where he spent his Fulbright Fellowship year between 2001 and 2002.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic has several publications both in local and foreign journals; chapters in books, in addition to papers presented at conferences.
He has also served on several committees both at ABU and the University of Abuja including as chair of the University of Abuja Convocation Planning Committee and chair of the University of Abuja Research Grant Committee.
The profile also revealed that Alawa was a one-time Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and also doubled as Deputy Dean as well as the Head, Department of Animal Health and Production between August 2014 and November 2016, adding that he is a member of many professional bodies, including the College of Veterinary Surgeon in Nigeria where he became a Fellow in 2014.
On his part, the new Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Abba, who was born on 29th November 1967 in Yola, Adamawa state, graduated in 1997 from the University of Maiduguri with a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science.
He had his M.Sc., and PhD degrees from University of Abuja in Political Economy and Development in 2004 and 2011, respectively.
Abba who began his teaching career as a primary school teacher rose to become Headmaster at Modibbo Raji Islamiya Primary School, Wuro – Modibbo and was also a secondary school teacher (master grade II) between 1989 -1992.
He joined the service of the University of Abuja in 1999, and rose to the rank of a Professor with specialization in Conflictology, Alternative Development Paradigms in 2018.
Professor Abba is a member of several professional organisations including International Political Science Association (IPSA) and Nigerian Political Science Association (NPSA); and he is visiting scholar in various institutions such as Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Korean Academy of Social Sciences (KASS), and International Institute of Juche Idea (IIJI).
Abba was the political Party Specialist for the International Republican Institute (IRI) from 1998 – 2012, a Democratic Governance Expert for the UN midwifed Democratic Governance Project (DGD II) from 2012 – 2015, and earlier he served as Research and Intelligence field coordinator for Movement for the Advancement of African Societies (MAAS) in Africa, Europe and Asia Pacific from 1986 – 1992 among other responsibilities.
