PASSAGE OF AN ACADEMIC GIANT

                                                   

The Vice-Chancellor has received with palpable sadness the jolting news of the transition of Prof. Beniah N. Onwuagba, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic, FUTO on Friday, April 3^rd_,2015. The Vice-Chancellor has since directed that a condolence Register be opened in honour of the departed DVC (Academic) and subsequently setup a high powered committee headed by Prof. A. E. Agbogu to coordinate the burial activities.

A brief glance at the towering profile of the late Prof. B. N. Onwuagba indicates that he joined the services of FUTO on November 1^st, 1985 as a Lecturer 1 and rapidly rose through the ranks on account of matchless commitment to hard work. He was appointed Professor of Solid State Physics 9 years after in 1994.Prof. Onwuagba, an acclaimed international scholar of repute and Fellow of the Solar Energy Society of Nigeria, obtained a Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Physics in 1975, an M.Phil and Ph.D in Solid State Physics in 1980 and 1984 respectively all from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

Prof. Onwuagba has impacted the international scientific community positively with his research contributions in the areas of Condensed Matter Physics and Solar Energy. He was a Visiting Senior Scientist, Department of Physics, University of Padova, Italy (Sept. 1989 – March 1990); Visiting Professor, Institute of Theoretical Physics, University of Regensburg, Germany (Sept  Nov.1997); Visiting Professor, Department of Physics, University of Modena, Italy (Oct.1998  -Oct.1999); and until 2007, a Senior Associate of Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy (formerly ICTP).

Until his death, Professor Beniah N. Onwuagba meritoriously served the University in various capacities. He once headed the Department of Physics for several years. He had equally served as the Dean of School of Science and member 7^th and 10^th Governing Council of the University.He was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), the position he held for four years till his demise.

Professor Onwuagba, a Knight of St. Christopher in the Anglican Communion was happily married to Lady Felicia Ngozi Onwuagba and they are blessed with six children.

May his gentle soul find repose in the bosom of the Lord, Amen.

Chike Ezenwa
Deputy Registrar/Coordinator, IPPA Unit