TheCable

The Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (USA), has appointed Ike Ekweremadu, deputy senate president, as a full visiting professor and senior mentoring scholar of e-governance and strategic government studies, according to his media aide.

In a letter addressed to the lawmaker, the university said Ekweremadu is expected to mentor doctoral students, junior lecturers, as well as take a lead in advising the university’s research centre on academic issues related to e-governance and strategic government studies.

Describing Ekweremadu as “a motivation to the Nigerian youth, both at home and in diaspora”, the university said his appointment was predicated on his intellectualism and long experience in leadership in Nigeria and Africa.

“Southern University was founded in 1880 and has always been at the forefront of academic research, as well as mentoring of many from the black community in the USA,” read the letter made available to TheCable by Uche Anichukwu, spokesman of Ekweremadu.

“Looking at your academic, administrative, and overall leadership in Nigeria and Africa, you fit perfectly in southern university’s goal to remain a leading research and teaching institution in the United States and beyond.

“We are excited to have you join our university and our research center. We believe the background you bring from your pool of experience will be most valuable to the university community as a whole.

“It is our fervent hope, sir, that you will accept this offer.

“Once again, congratulations, professor Ike Ekweremadu.”

A senior legal practitioner and former lecturer at the University of Nigeria, Enugu campus, Ekweremadu holds a PhD in law and has undergone executive strategic leadership training at the Harvard University and Oxford University.

The senator is an author of several books  and has delivered over 25 public lecturers, mainly on the subjects of good governance, constitution-making, and the principles of federalism at both local and international fora such as the Osgood hall law school, York University, Ontario, Canada; Johns Hopkins University, Washington DC, USA; parliament of the United Kingdom; University of Nigeria, Nsukka, federal university of technology, Minna; university of Ibadan; Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka as well as several commonwealth and ECOWAS fora.

Ekweremadu has also held several leadership positions, including local government council chairman; chief of staff, government house, Enugu; secretary to the government of Enugu state; and is currently serving a fourth term as senator.

He is the only Nigerian that has served as the speaker of ECOWAS parliament.