The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Chinedu Ositadinma Nebo, recently unfolded his administration’s achievements in the provision of academic services to the nation, describing the future of the institution as bright in its quest to produce qualified manpower and research work for the country.

Briefing newsmen who were on tour of the facilities of the 47-year-old university at Nsukka, Professor Nebo also announced plans to raise N14 billion through the University of Nigeria Research and Economic Development (UNRED) foundation to aid the provision of facilities and the establishment of industries through partnership.

He promised to provide good quality leadership, better academic services to students, improved facilities, better research works to enable it rank as the best university in Africa.
According to the VC, UNN under a short period of his administration has made an impact in the university system and still has much to offer the nation.

Among the several achievements recorded by his administration as rolled out by the VC are the construction of 14 lecture theatres, eight of which have been completed, accreditation of programmes by NUC, peaceful academic environment and academic calendar, construction of a library, abandoned some years ago, ventures and university farm, expansion and beautification of the institution main gate, linkage with foreign universities, donation of various buildings with equipment and functioning guest house.

The VC, who assumed office in 2005, used the occasion to explain that the former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, was not properly informed before making her utterances and debunked allegation of mismanagement of fund at UNN.

Professor Nebo stated that “the minister did not quite state all the facts the way they are. I don’t think there is any university in Nigeria that has justified whatever resources given, including Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) as the University of Nigeria has done.”

In apparent displeasure with ASUU strike and no-work-no-pay policy of the Federal Government, which the university implemented, Nebo said that the reports coming from the union activists were false and damaging.

He explained that when the union declared strike, he convened a senate meeting where everybody was pleaded to “utilize his/her conscience and the entire university community agreed not to embark on the strike. And I pleaded to say; those who wanted to go on strike were free to go but should not impinge on conscience of those who knew we were in examinations.

“When ASUU activists went from hall to hall sacking students taking exams during the first semester, I had to close down the university for a short while and asked the students to go on Easter break.
“I invited the entire academic community for a meeting with me and ASUU activists, spent days and write ups telling them not to come, yet more than 1000 lecturers came to that meeting and overwhelmingly wanted to go back to work.

“So the unions are free to go on strike and the VC said nobody would be victimized but those on strike should not force others who were working not to do their work. Besides, only 70 of over 1200 lecturers were on strike, so can you say it is the VC that is unpopular or the ASUU. For those who refused to work, why should they be paid for walking out on their students who were taking examinations?”
On cultism, the Vice Chancellor beat his chest that it was not in existence in the university since he took over its leadership unlike when “gangsterism, cultism and armed robbery were daily events on campus, car snatching a weekly event.

The first thing I did was to declare zero tolerance for cultism and decided I will never wine or dine with cultism. So, the declaration of zero tolerance for cultism meant that I had to go to war, beef up the security system; establish a network for information gathering and intelligence. And we were able to find out where they meet and when they meet and what they do. And once you are caught as a cultist, you are tried and rusticated.”

The tour of the facilities which was conducted by the Head of UNN Alumni Relations, Mr. Gozie Arazu, began at the Continuing Education Centre (CEC) built by Klod foundation, School of General Studies, the first in Africa, University Admin block whose reconstruction was abandoned, the biggest library in the university system in the country, lecture theatre halls, various on-going projects as well as abandoned ones spanning over 20 years ago.

According to Mr. Arazu, a lot of revival is taking place in the university through the effort of the VC who has taken up the challenge to complete the various abandoned projects, adding that staff of UNN are contributing 10 per cent of their salaries to the UNRED foundation.