The Anambra House of Assembly on Thursday passed a bill  changing the name of the state-owned university at Uli to  Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University.

The bill was passed during the plenary of the legislature in Awka to honour the former Biafra hero.

The decision followed the report of the House Committee on Education which recommended the change of the name.

Mrs Rita Maduagwu, the Chairman, House Committee on Education, recalled that the bill had been read the second time on the floor of the house on December 17, 2013.

She said that the committee found that the university’s name had been changed before from Anambra State University of  Science and Technology and that there were a number of provisions in the extant law that required a review.

“After due consideration of facts and information, the committee recommended that the  law establishing the university be repealed, while a new law aimed at amending the principal law be passed,” Maduagwu said.

Mr Valentine Ayika said that the bill was due for passage since it was read second time in December 2013.

Mr Tony Muonagor  said that the aim was to immortalise the late Ojukwu and to encourage hard work among the people of the state and Nigeria at large.

Mr Ebele Obi said that the passage was a welcome development.