Prof. Ayakoroma emerges DVC (Academic), University of Africa

THE SENATE of the University of Africa, Toru-Orua in Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State has announced the appointment of Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma for the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the Institution.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Kingston Nyamapfene, while making the announcement at an Extra-Ordinary Senate Meeting of the Institution, said that the appointment, which is subject to ratification by the Governing Council of UAT, was vital as a lot of work needed to be done to improve the academic fortunes of the University, adding that he was confident that the new DVC will bring his wealth of experience to bear in the performance of his duties.

In his acceptance speech, Professor Barclays Ayakoroma assured that he will contribute his quota to add value to the development of the University, adding that the first task was improving the visibility to the University to ensure that there is significant increase in admission.

It was gathered that the pioneer Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Admin.) of the University, Professor Iwekumo Agbozu, has served out his two terms of two years each.

Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma, untill his appointment, was the Head, Department of Theatre Arts, University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT).

He is former Executive Director, Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture; and former Coordinator, Postgraduate Programme, Institute of Development Communication (ISDEVCOM) as well as the Department of Theatre & Cultural Studies, Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK).​​​​​​​​        

Ayakoroma is also the immediate past Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Abuja-FCT.

Meanwhile, Professor Innocent Ohiri, best known for the role of “Willy-Willy” in Hot Cash, a popular TV drama serial on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Port Harcourt, in the 1980s and early 1990s, has felicitated with the newly appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Africa, Toru-Orua (UAT), Bayelsa State, Professor Barclays Foubiri Ayakoroma.

Professor Ohiri, who made this known during a call on the newly-appointed DVC, stated that Professor Ayakoroma has been his close friend since their university days at Calabar and Ibadan, and that the new DVC convinced him to resign from the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Port Harcourt, where he was a senior producer/director, in the mid-90s.

The university don said that with Professor Ayakoroma as DVC, considering his antecedents at Bayelsa State Council for Arts and Culture and Executive Secretary/CEO, National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO), Abuja-FCT, he was confident that there will be an upsurge in student admission, thus improving the visibility of the University.

Prof. Ohiri expressed his appreciation to the Vice-Chancellor of UAT, Professor Kingston Nyamapfene, for finding Professor Ayakoroma worthy of the appointment; just as he used the opportunity to congratulate the Registrar of UAT, Dr. Akpoebi Adesi, saying that having two Thespians as principal officers in the University is a blessing to the Department, and that it behoves members of staff and students to draw from their experiences.

“Willy-Willy” also used the opportunity to encourage theatre arts students to look at the entrepreneurial prospects of the theatre profession, disclosing that he did that in his younger days, by taking his Wizi Travelling Theatre for performance at Calabar, Benin, Warri, and many other cities, adding that the most challenging moment, in Wizi traveling theatre days, was when his fans in Warri insisted that he must vanish on stage, as they used to see on television.

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