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…Says COVID-19, ASUU Strike, Poor funding worst challenges of his administration
From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Prof Charles Igwe, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) has that his administration inherited 104 abandoned projects in 2019 when he assumed office.
Igwe disclosed this in Nsukka on Wednesday while briefing newsmen shortly after conducting them to projects executed by his administration in the University.
He said out of the 104 abandoned projects 73 have been completed while 31 were ongoing and would be completed before the end of his tenure on June 14, 2024.
“Those abound projects TETFUND interventions, Needs Assessments, Capital allocations, and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“The good news is that we have completed 73 of the inherited projects while the remaining 31 are ongoing. Some of the completed projects include the renovation of staff quarters; the construction of the cultural centre of the Institute of African Studies; construction of Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Blocks A, B, and C at ItukuOzalla; construction and equipment of the Central Laboratory at Nsukka campus; completion of the Department of Archeology building at Nsukka Campus; rehabilitation of the Old Library building at Nsukka campus, among others,” he said.
The Vice-chancellor said his administration initiated 257 projects out of which 149 have been completed, while the remaining 108 projects are at various levels of completion.
He listed some of the projects initiated and completed by his administration including; the re-roofing of the Faculty of Art building, Block A and B, completing and equipping of the Medical Center building at Nsukka campus, rehabilitation of the College of Postgraduates building and remodeling of Center for Entrepreneurship Development Research (CEDR) building as well as renovation of hostel at Enugu Campus, among others.
“I expect that all the projects initiated by my administration will be completed before the end of my tenure, as most of them are already 90 per cent completed,” he said.
According to the VC, his administration had converted a total of 259 staff from one cadre to another as over 170 non-teaching staff who upgraded their qualifications were converted to academic staff.
“Over 170 non-teaching staff who have upgraded their qualifications were converted to academic staff, while over 89 staff, who were stagnated for years in a particular cadre, were upgraded to match their qualifications and experiences.
“My administration has also promoted a total of 197 deserving academic staff to the position of professorship,” he said.
Igwe also disclosed that the university is building 12,000 hostel bed space under the Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) which he said would provide conducive and affordable hostel accommodation for students when completed.
“The transparent policy of my administration has renewed the confidence of our alumni, as individuals and groups, have donated buildings, and equipment and instituted scholarships for our students.
“Our achievements go beyond physical infrastructure to include the encouragement of our staff to conduct impact-based research, that is why we challenge our staff to tailor their research towards solving societal problems,” he said.
The VC noted that the university was
able to record these achievements because of its prudent management of available resources, as well as maintaining good cordial relationships between the management, staff, and students of the University.
He, however, noted that the outbreak of covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the eight months nation wide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and poor funding remained the worst challenges of his administration.
