Joe Effiong, Uyo
The outgoing vice-chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Enefiok Essien has said 240 staff in the professorial cadre comprising associate professors and professors were promoted during his five year tenure.
In his valecditory press conference on Wednesday on the main campus of the university, where listed his achievements especially on staff welfarewithin the period, Essien said he had cleared the backlog of promotions for non teaching staff as far back as 2011, adding that academic staff were regularly promoted.
He said he took staff welfare as a primary concern to ensure they were rewarded for their labours by conducting promotions as when due, converting staff with higher qualifications to their appropriate ranks, paying promotion arrears, hazard allowances, as well as promoting stagnated staff of the University staff school.
He stated that out of the 76 inaugural lectures the university has had from 1991 to date, 30 of them representing 40 percent of the whole took place during his administration.
He further said an electronic voting system was introduced for the Students Union Government (SUG) elections, where the students voted from the comfort of their rooms, thereby erasing the issue of discontent among students during their executive transition.
He added that he operated an open door policy for students, ran a yearly convocation ceremony such that students could get their certificates afterwards, stating that 153 students expelled from the university in November 2015 before he became VC, were reinstated in 2016 during his administration after they showed remorse.
The outgoing VC whose tenure would elapse on November 30, mentioned some of his achievements to include peace on campus, staff and students welfare, maintenance of academic culture, creation of new academic programmes, departments and centres, massive physical and infrastructural developments among others.
“We have had regular promotion as and when due. We cleared the backlog particularly for non-teaching staff, some dated to 2011.
“Academic staff too have had regular promotions except this year that the appointments and promotion committee could not meet due to the COVID-19 lockdown/closure and the ASUU strike which has still not yet been called off.
“For promotions in the professorial cadre, we have had more in my 5 year tenure than in any other tenure before now.
“Between December 2015 and November 2020, we have had a total of 240 professorial promotion, made up of Associate Professors and Professors,” he stated.
The VC listed 27 projects which he initiated, completed and commissioned to include a fuel station designed to improve the institution’s internally generated revenue (IGR), State-of-the- art Art gallery, construction of dual carriage entry road at the main campus, and construction of about 9 classrooms and office blocks, and female hostel block among others.
He said the University has full accreditation for most of its programmes from both the National and Universities Commission and relevant professional bodies, adding that the institution have collaborations with universities in America, Europe and Asia
