By Goddy Anyogo

It was indeed an avalanche of praise and encomiums on the Prof. Zana Akpagu led Management of the University of Calabar as the Executive and members of the University of Calabar Theatre Arts Alumni Association (UCTAAA) paid a courtesy visit on the distinguished University administrator recently.

Speaking during the visit which was hosted in the Council Chamber of the institution, the National President of UCTAAA, Mrs. Rita Ndidi Amuchienwa commended the Vice Chancellor for his accomplishments in the university and society at large.

 The National President, while expressing her excitement, said their visit was to give back to the Department and to the University, adding that, it was indeed a thing of joy that after gaining so much from the institution, they have the privilege of being alive to witness the day and see classmates and esteemed tutors.

The National president while chronicling the history of the association hinted that the Alumni body which started first in Lagos has her members spread across the globe adding that UCTAA has never experience any dull moment, even as she informed the Vice Chancellor that they were in the university to share their experiences and find a way to mentor the young would be theatre practitioners.

In the same vein, the Cross River Coordinator of UCTAAA, Mrs. Affiong Effiom highlighted the programme of events lined up for the one week she described as the “inaugural homecoming and reunion of UCTAAA, using the opportunity to invite the Vice Chancellor and his Management team to be part of the events.

Responding, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Zana Akpagu expressed management’s appreciation of their effort and thanked them for the visit, while acknowledging the Alumni body as the first and largest, so far, to make an impact in the university. 

The first Alumnus Vice Chancellor, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic, Prof. Uche Amalu, said management will ensure that they have full support so as to achieve the essence of their visit.

In a remark at the event, the Executive Director, National Film and Video Censors Board, Alhaji Thomas Adedayo, who was there in his capacity as a resource person at the interactive session with the students, bemoaned the absence of “film classification and rating” as part of the curriculum content of relevant Departments in Nigerian Universities.

Alhaji Adedayo used the occasion to pledge his commitment to make unical a destination of choice for would be theatre practitioners, as well as, stakeholders in the sector should unical find a way of doing the needful to address the aforementioned anomaly.  

Reacting to this, the ever proactive Vice Chancellor, through his representative, directed the Head of Department of Theatre, Film and Carnival Studies to set up a committee that will formulate the necessary curriculum content with all requisite ancillary recommendations for official consideration and approval.

Also on hand to receive the alumni body were the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof. (Mrs) Lucy Udida; the unical alumni relations officer, Mr. Emmanuel Adariku and the HOD, Theatre, Film and Carnival Studies, Dr. (Mrs) Brenda Akpan represented by the esteemed Prof. Ede M. Iji.

The very lively and congenial visit featured presentation of a memento by the UCTAAA to the Vice Chancellor, rendition of the UCTAAA song and taking of photographs.