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…As Ozumba, former UNN VC bows out of service
From Felix Ikem, Nsukka
The Registrar of Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede has said that granting full autonomy to universities comes with accountability and responsibility for sustainable development.
Oloyede said this in Nsukka on Thursday while delivering a lecture titled; “Institutional Autonomy, Accountability and the Quest for Efficient Governance of Nigerian Universities,” in honour of Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, the 14th and former Vice Chancellor of UNN, to mark his retirement from the university service and his 70th birthday.
He said that discourse on University autonomy and accountability had become complicated in recent years given that diverse opinions of segments of society have developed different notions of what these would be to universities.
“It is in the interest of every nation to protect both academic freedom and institutional autonomy in the universities for improved productivity in research and innovation.
“Critical questions must be asked on how universities have been able to utilize the money given to them in the interest of the country’s education and economic development.
“Universities must know that they have the responsibility of quality teaching, research, and community service as well as proffering solutions to critical national issues and being accountable to government,” he said.
The JAMB Boss urged the government and the university to enumerate their responsibilities to each other rather than undue emphasis on rights.
“It should also understand that no right is absolute, this will facilitate their genuine understanding and management of expectations.
“Universities should actively engage in pre-review and self-regulatory measures toward quality assurance and accountability,” he said.
According to him some African countries such as Ghana and Kenya, visitation panels are constituted by the universities themselves for review and improvement in service delivery and accountability.
He explained that if accountability annual report and community service should be efficiently deployed it would further assure the public and government of the commitment of the university to high ethical standards and excellence.
In his valedictory lecture titled “The Role of Tertiary Institution in Nation Building: My Experience in University of Nigeria.
Ozumba said that all nations that are doing well in the world like the US, UK, and China among others focused seriously on education by providing their citizens with cheap quality, and accessible education.
“The great asset to nation-building is human capital development which can only be achieved through education, “he said.
Ozumba urged the government to always be determined to make adequate provision for effective funding of education in all annual budgets.
“Government should endeavour to earmark 26% of the total budget for educational development as recommended by the United Nations Organisation
“The government can decide to adopt all our innovation templates and leadership style which repositioned UNN as a towering center of learning and skill development center,” he said
The former VC said he was happy and excited about his retirement because many people who worked with him during his tenure as VC at UNN are occupying positions of authority in various Universities.
In a remark, Prof. Charles Igwe, the Vice-Chancellor of UNN commended the JAMB registrar for delivering the lecture in honour of Prof Ozumba’s retirement from civil service and described the topic of the lecture as topical.
“The topic of this special lecture is an interesting and topical one considering that the issue of university autonomy is one of the most interesting, misunderstood, and controversial policies as far as education is concerned in the country,” he said.
Igwe said that Ozumba as former Provost College of Medicine UNN and VC recorded many achievements as the 14th Vice-chancellor of UNN and the university would forever remain grateful to him.
Also in a remark, Senator Tony Nwoye, representing Anambra North Senatorial District in the National Assembly described Ozumba as a Father and role model.
“That I am a Medical Doctor today is as a result of his fatherly advice to me,” he said.
Nwoye said that UNN as the first university in the country needed N20b intervention from Federal Government to upgrade infrastructures.
He assured that he will team up with others to attract the fund from the government.
The highlight of the occasion was cutting of Ozumba’s 70th birthday cake.
