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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, said the fast-changing world demands a corresponding change in education standards and Rivers State University (RSU) must be ready to benchmark its academic programmes to meet global demands.
Governor Wike gave the charge at the 34th convocation ceremony of the university yesterday in Port Harcourt at which he was conferred with the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa).
The governor stated that it was for the attainment of high global standards that his administration invested funds generously to improve infrastructure and established faculties, particularly the College of Medical Sciences.
Governor Wike said at the inception of his administration that he constituted the Governing Council of the institution and charged them to develop the blueprint that would engender sustainable transformation in the university.
After that, Governor Wike explained that his administration also resolved the lingering strike of the academic staff, and recalled the staff unjustly dismissed for union activities by the previous government.
That action, he noted, restored industrial harmony to the institution, achieved within his first two weeks in office.
“Third, we immediately started tackling the university’s infrastructural challenges one after the other.
“We completed, furnished and commissioned the long-abandoned Faculty of Law complex within our first 100 days in office.”
Governor Wike also stated that his administration completed the Faculty of Management Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technical Education, and Faculty of Environment Sciences within the second year of his administration.
He said he also started and completed the Senate Building in his third year in office, and the College of Medical Sciences buildings in his fourth year in office
“We also built the Basic Clinical Science and the Department of Clinical Sciences buildings, which were commissioned last week as components of the Medical College.
“We then transformed the former Braithwaite Memorial Hospital into the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital with state-of-the-art equipment.”
Governor Wike remarked that today, the relatively new College of Medical Sciences of the university is reckoned to be on its way to becoming one of the country’s best medical schools as declared by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria.
The governor recalled the review of the enabling law of the institution so that it would reflect the multi-disciplinary structure and implementation of an enhanced salary structure for the university staff.
Governor Wike said his administration also restored the multi-campus structure of the university that was cancelled by the military. The campuses, he said, are now located in Ahoada (East), Emohua, Etche, Sapkenwa (Tai) local government areas, fully equipped with faculty and administrative buildings, staff quarters and will commence academic activities soon.
“A few weeks ago, we authorised the management to engage 1,355 new academic and non-academic staff to resolve the staff shortfalls occasioned by retirements, resignations, and the establishment of new academic departments and centres.”
Governor Wike said as the Visitor to the institution, he was satisfied with what had been accomplished with his administration’s investments over the last seven and half years.
“No doubt, the billions we have invested have significantly advanced this university in infrastructure, growth and prestige and empowered it with the capacity to produce the kind of graduates that we need to serve our state and country with character, commitment and responsibility.”
With all these investments, Wike insisted that the university management must move the institution away from the existing academic model of processing of graduates in their numbers after every four or five years, unmindful of the quality of knowledge and skills imparted.
“Graduates lacking adequate knowledge, dexterity and self-transformation cannot be helpful to society, nor will they be useful to themselves.
“Money spent on such graduates may have also been wasted as they will remain socio-economic burdens to their families, friends and community,” Wike said.
