Lagos — Ghanaian President, Prof. John Evans Attah-Mills has pledged his government's full support to the Association of African Universities (AAU). He made the pledge while receiving the Board members of the association, led by the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Is-haq O. Oloyede, who visited the President on the African University Day, November 12.

Attah-Mills acceded to all the requests earlier made by Oloyede on behalf of the AAU and offered his readiness to do more whenever the need arises. He said he was enamoured to be among members of his professional constituency, the academia, and would be willing to support the Association to achieve its aims and objectives.

The Professor of Law and expert in taxation and economic development observed that the centrality of higher education in the development of Africa could not be over-emphasised and commended the AAU on its activities.

Earlier in his address, Prof. Oloyede congratulated Prof. Attah-Mills on his electoral victory and emergence as the President earlier in the year saying that the academia has been emotionally attached to his victory. He recalled that the Association was founded 42 years ago, having been established on November 12, 1967 in Rabat, Morocco. The secretariat has been located in Accra, Ghana since 1970 under a Headquarters Agreement between the association and government of Ghana.

AAU President highlighted a number of issues relating to the provisions to be made by the Government of Ghana as stipulated in the Agreement. He also appealed to President Attah Mills to provide a more befitting spacious headquarters to the Association.

The Minister of Education said his country was pleased to host the AAU secretariat and would continue to support the Association. Apart from a well equipped and modern secretariat, he said the government would provide a parcel of land on which the Association might erect a permanent structure.