Vice Chancellor of the Abia State University(ABSU) Uturu, Professor Onyemachi Ogbulu has explained the reason his adminstration anchored it’s developmental trajectory on his predecessor, Prof Uche Ikonne’s success, saying that the previous leadership recorded tremendous achievements.
Professor Ogbulu who made this known during a pre-convocation press briefing as part of activities for the 27th and 28th Convocation ceremony of the institution said his adminstration intends to leverage on the success recorded by his predecessor to move the institution to enviable heights.
He noted that his administration encapsulated it’s mission statement in the slogan, “Let The Change Continue”, having worked closely with his predecessor whose tenure as VC of the institution recorded tremendous achievements with its mantra, “Our Story Must Change”.
“The road map was to have a comprehensive plan for financial Independence which involves identifying and harnessing resources and installing key processes and procedures that will drive the core mandate of our University in teaching, research and community services. This becomes imperative in the midst of dwindling funding of academic Institutions occassioned by the global economic recession.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that that adminstration recorded alot of huge achievements. Infact, it has set a very tough standard for us which any incoming Vice Chancellor can not afford to fall below, so it is a very good thing for us. We see the change, the records are there and it must continue”, Ogbulu said.
The ABSU Vice Chancellor who used the opportunity to reel out his achievements in his one year in office said the University has made appreciable developments as it continues to blaze the trail in academic performance with graduates and products of the institution making exceptionally in positions of leadership.
“We have used the the first year in office to set up processes and procedures in form of communication made up of tested and trusted persons to drive and harness resources both human and capital to help us deliver our goals in a sustainable manner in areas of academic programmes, revenue drive public and private partnership, community relations, staff/students welfare, security, Infrastructural development as well as prudent management of resources.
“In keeping with the promise of my administration, we have made the issue of staff welfare of priority resulting in promotion of Teaching and non teaching staff, realignment and motivation of staff in several other ways to jointly pursue the goals of the adminstration, with transparency and openness as key strategy.
“This has engendered mutual trust, cooperation and synergy as the staff and unions are constantly aware of the efforts of the adminstration towards reducing the inherited salary arrears with every resource that it generates.
“Today, we can safely say that it is paying off with significant stability in academic activities which this mutual trust generates. The issue of salary arrears will soon be resolved”.
Professor Ogbulu disclosed that a total of 5,712 graduands would be conferred first class degrees and higher degrees while some distinguished and eminent personalities in Igbo land including the Chairman, Air Peace Limited, Barrister Allen Onyema, Founder Slot Systems Limited,Engr. Nnamdi Ezigbo and former INEC Commissioner,(South East Zone)would recieve honorary doctorate degrees during the 27th and 28th combined Convocation ceremony.
