President Bola Tinubu has formally appointed Igwe Dr. Lawrence Agubuzu, the Ogbunechendo of Ezema Olo Kingdom, as the new Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere in Gombe State.
The installation ceremony, presided over by Professor Ibrahim Garba (Vice-Chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi), coincided with the university’s combined 6th to 9th convocation ceremonies.
“By the powers conferred on me as the visitor to this university, I formally install you, His Royal Majesty, Igwe Dr Lawrence Agubuzu, as the Chancellor of the Federal University of Kashere,” Prof. Garba declared.
“I also confer upon you all the rights, powers, and privileges pertaining to this office.”
The Vice-Chancellor of FUK, Prof. Umaru Pate, pledged his support to the newly-installed Chancellor, saying: “By the authority vested in me as Vice-Chancellor of FUK, I confer upon you, Your Majesty, the Honorary Doctorate Degree of Letters.”
In response, Igwe Agubuzu expressed his gratitude and praised the Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu III, along with other traditional rulers, “for promoting peace and cultural continuity in the area.”
During his convocation address, the Chancellor urged the graduating students to uphold the institution’s values: “be good ambassadors of the institution, and to uphold the values, excellence, and integrity instilled in them.”
He also acknowledged that the other four individuals receiving honorary doctorates “had became part of the legacy and future of the university by virtue of their conferment.”
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the honorary degree recipients included Prof. Ali Pate (Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare), Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, Dr. Kole Shettima, and Rep. Abubakar Bichi, honored “in recognition of their outstanding contributions to national development and nation building.”
Kalu, one of the awardees, thanked the governing board, Chancellor, and Vice‑Chancellor for the accolade. He also commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya for his support to the university and “urged him to sustain the tempo.”
DAILY GAZETTE reports that Friday’s convocation ceremony saw 6,870 undergraduates receive their first-degree certificates.
