by Prof Joe Ahaneku, FAS.
The Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Prof
Joseph Ahaneku has said that he is working towards making the university the
best in Nigeria, and has also expressed optimism that his dream will be met,
following plans already marshaled out.
Speaking at a press conference to mark his one year in
Office immediately after a breakfast meeting with a select few journalists,
which also included Elekenews.blogspot.com, Ahaneku said that in one year in office,
he has worked hard to uplift the university.
He said in one year, his administration has addressed the
problem of impersonation and examination malpractices, and has also upgraded
its admission processes to a digital method that has proven to be very reliable,
and used only by a few institutions in Nigeria.
He stated that in the last Post UTME exams, over 440
candidates for the exams abandoned it and ran away after seeing the
thoroughness of the screening process, while about 80 other impersonators who
insisted on taking the exams were arrested and handed over to the management
for prosecution.
“Through Biometric registration, we have the data of all our
students. We are called upon to serve, and to mentor the young ones, and that
is what we are doing under my leadership.
“Since I assumed leadership here, I can tell you that
several lecturers here have buckled up. We insisted on doing the right thing,
and any form of extortion by lecturers have been abolished. Today, students
graduate on record time, and if anything delays any students result script, the
HOD of that department or the lecturer’s salary is stopped, just as we have recently sanctioned a lecturer in the university.”
Ahaneku also stated that as a result of the establishment of
a research exhibition in the university, several department have gone into
researches and also come up with findings and products that can compete
anywhere in the world.
He said that this was the reason the institution’s
engineering department was able to produce a fast car, which they called Auto
Zik, which was the cynosure of all eyes in a recent exhibition in Abuja.
“That car was produced with 60% local content, and as I
speak to you, other products are on the way, with over 80% local content. That
is the way we want to go. We want to teach the children how to be self reliant,
and that is where the future of Nigeria and Africa lies.”
These improvements in the university he said are the reasons
why the university has remained the second most preferred university in the
country for several years standing. He added that another of its strength is
that the university graduates students on record time unlike others where a
four or five years programme may linger for more than necessary.
Speaking on the recent rift between the already impeached
student’s union government president, Mr Noble Eyisi, Ahaneku said he refused
to join issues with him because the members of his executives were already
upset about the way he ran the union, which led to his impeachment.
He further said that after the letter to his management by
the former student’s union president alleging corruption, he decided to
investigate him and found out that he was being sponsored by people in the
institution who are not happy that his stringent policies have blocked off
several means of income to them.
He however said that having spent one year in office, and
satisfied with his achievements in just one year, he will spend the second with
aggressive pursuit for the attainment of the status as the best university in
the country in rating.
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