The Vice Chancellor of Michael Okpara University Of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Prof Maduebibisi Ofo Iwe, has marked his first 100 days in office, promising to operate an ‘Open Book Policy’.
MOUAU VC, Briefing The Press
In a Media briefing organized at the Vice Chancellor’s conference Room, MOUAU, Prof Iwe said it was expedient to give a press briefing as he celebrated his first 100 days in office because, his administration is an open book and the institution is run with federal funds and the collective wealth of the people, hence, the need to be accountable to the public.
“Is is the right of Nigerians to know how we are handling the responsibility bestowed upon us in this place”.
Relaying his achievements to Newsmen since March 1, 2021, that he took over from his predecessor, late Prof Francis Otunta, the MOUAU VC said he has succeeded in putting the University on the pedestal of human, capital and Infrastructural development, as the vision of the VC is centered around knowledge-giving, society-conscious-and-satisfying world-class University, in which competent and committed staff shall consistently produce competent graduates, equipped with entrepreneurial, problem-solving and social skills, as well as in capacities.
According to Prof Iwe, within his 100 days in office, he was able to introduce e-senate, that is, the full use of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in all senate proceedings, a project he said was a major breakthrough for him, as deliberations and plans to make the University Senate go paperless had been ongoing for the past five years, but had been stalled by a misconception that its implementation would be cumbersome.
On the area of Infrastructure development, Prof Iwe said within his 100 days in office, his administration has made stringent efforts to untie the knots that have led to the abandonment of an incomplete status of the numerous building projects in the university. He said his administration is interfacing with the contractors who would return to site in no distant time, adding that his administration is fast tracking the completion and expansion of the College of Agricultural Economics, Rural Sociology and Extension (CAERSE), the College of Physical and Applied Sciences (COLPAS) and the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Management (CNREM) complexes, as well as other projects.
Interms of Students’ Welfare, the VC said he commenced an ‘Open-Door Approach’ in relating with the students, a method that is already yielding good fruits, with the restoration of street lights in some streets of the University, while efforts are ongoing to restore them in all nooks and crannies of the institution.
Prof Iwe further revealed that plans are underway to renovate and provide every necessary infrastructure needed for effective teaching and learning.
The MOUAU VC said his administration has started addressing the issues of hazard allowances, which in the past had caused disaffection between the authorities and the concerned unions, stating that the school has begun the payment of arrears of responsibility allowance to deserving staff, which has accumulated for almost two years.
While thanking God for the catalogue of achievements, the VC said he has been able to resolve the trade dispute between the University and one of its contractors, Aoen Consults Ltd, that resorted to the abandonment of the School’s shuttle service vehicles, stating that by the 2020/2021 session the shuttle service would fully return.
However, the VC stated that plans are ongoing to reconcile the Institution and the Michael Okpara UniAgric Microfinance Bank, stressing that the prolonged hostility between the two parties, had robbed the University of the benefits of owing a robust bank with corporate social responsibility,loan facilities and program sponsorship. He added that he was able to launch the MOUAU Agric Graduate Loan Scheme, with the first set of seven beneficiaries picked from different Colleges of the University and were granted between #120,000 to #400,000 to establish businesses in fish production, poultry farming, cassava production, palm oil marketing, pig farming among others.
While disclosing that the University recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), to equip the University’s meteorology laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment, Prof Iwe revealed that he has succeeded in opening up 400ha of land for farming activities and as well as procured farming equipments worth millions of naira, adding that soonest the University’s farm would be opened for profitable utilization.
While appreciating the Governor of the state, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu, the Speaker of the Abia House of Assembly, Rt Hon Chinedum Orji for their partnership, revealed that he was able to present a template of core values of the university in his first 100 days.
The VC, however, urged the University to believe in herself and throw a lot of weight behind her strides in achieving the goals set by his administration.
