The Federal Government has pledged to honour Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs, the former vice chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt.
Prof. Adamu Adamu, the minister of education, revealed this at a special convocation held on Friday by the institution in Prof. Briggs’ honour.
Briggs served as the fifth vice chancellor of UNIPORT, chairman of the committee of provosts of federal universities, and provost of the federal university in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, as well as the Bayelsa Medical University in Yenagoa, until his death.
Adamu expressed his condolences for Briggs’ passing to the Rivers State government, the University of Port Harcourt, the residents of Abonnema in the state’s Akuku-Toru Local Government Area, and the Briggs family as a whole through Dr Chris Mayaki, Deputy Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission.
According to Adamu, the supreme government will erect a fitting monument to honour the esteemed professor of obstetrics and gynaecology.
He declared Briggs will be immortalised in recognition of his tremendous contributions to the nation’s development and to the progress of medical and educational practise in the nation.
The minister went on to call the former head of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission a “academic giant” who had a life that was exceptional and deserving of admiration an urges the family to be proud of him.
He noted that Briggs served the nation with distinction and utmost certification and demonstrated passion to secure positive change and bring out the best in any national assignment.
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Adamu stated, “We offer the heartfelt condolences of the entire education family and indeed a grateful nation, including those of the South, management and board of the NUC and the entire Nigeria university system which today comprises 259 universities, the unique constituency where late Prof. Nimi Briggs creditably spent most of his productive life, building what has been an outstanding academic and distinguished public service carrier in an active commitment to what he loves most, teaching, research, medical practice and community service.
“There is no way the history of the Nigeria University System can be written effectively and comprehensively without the mention and full documentation of the pivotal and pioneer roles played at various stages by the late icon who by hard work, social and incredible life of distinction which satisfied several secondary and primary teachings and administrative leadership position in academia, rising to the pinnacle of his career.
“Late Prof Briggs demonstrated outstanding intellect, resourcefulness, amazing capacity and energy for work which he brought to bear in the successful execution of his vision and assigned tasks which are too numerous to mention here.
“We recall vividly that as a scholar of distinction, he graduated as a medical doctor in 1969, and was awarded one of the first ever doctor of medicine degrees by the University of Lagos.”
Adamu added that when the National Monument for University Education is eventually built in Nigeria, Prof. Nimi Dimkpa Briggs’ name will be written in platinum and “not just gold because his life was more of service to humanity”.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Georgewill Owunari, described the late Prof. Briggs As a visionary leader and a beacon of excellence who has contributed immensely to the academic community and in education development in the country.
Owunari who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof. Clifford Ofurum said, Prof. Briggs during his days as the institution’s VC and Chairman of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission demonstrated hard work to promote sustainable peace, development and infrastructural transformation of the university and growth of the society.
In his remark, the Pro-Chancellor, University of Port Harcourt, senator Andrew Uchendu described Briggs as an astute administrator, manager of human resources; an incorruptible and highly detribalized thinker.
