Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University

A NEW DAWN, A NEW SENSE OF PURPOSE FOR THE GREAT UNIVERSITY.

Distiguished Members of Council, Senate and Congregation.

To God be the Glory, great things He has done for thie Great University, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Today marks a new dawn in the annals of this Great University, as I, with profound sense of honour and humility assume duty as the FOURTH Vice-Chancellor of this great citadel of learning. I see a special grace of God coming upon our University; I can see everything turning around for our collective good. May I use this opportunity first and foremost to thank the Governing Council of the University (MOUAU) under the leadership of Prof. Mvendaga Jibo and The President, Federal Republic of Nigeria and The Visitor, His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan, GCFR for this rare opportunity to serve.

Permit me to say that as Vice-Chancellor, I am like the Moses of the Bible, while you are the Hurs and Aarons. Can I muster enough strength to stand firm and travel the rough and rugged road ahead without you? You are all important in the actualization of the vision I have for the University. I therefore invite you to come on board with me to accelerate our hopes and aspirations with the appropriate speed.

REMINISCENCE:

I commend my predecessor, Professor Ikenna Onyido, FAS for being peace-loving and expending adequate spiritual and physical energy to ensure that the cacophonies and booming of the 'guns' he met stopped. This is no mean achievement. It is my hope that no one should excavate those 'guns' from the archives to which they have been consigned. This peace shall continue to overtake all of us. I salute also his unswerving commitment towards the achievement of academic excellence and development of proper university culture. I gain strength from these factors as any interest group yet to be reconciled will be given the opportunity tp embrace peace while the language of academic excellence becomes commonplace.

MY VISION AND MISSION, OUR COLLECTIVE DREAM:

My leadership in the University for the next five years will be anchored on the virtues of equity, justice and fair play. The MOUAU jet plane is yet to gain the proper altitude for safe cruising. With proper synergy among all the segments of the University, we are now in the crucial period of gaining altitude to prove to the nation and the world at large that agriculuture and sustainable food production is a lucrative business, more emphasis will be placed on research with a bid to attain international best practices. An enabling environment would be created for the expansion and/or introduction of new programmes other than agriculture so that the general public would derive maximum opportunity for the education of their children/wards. Thank God that the Federal Government has already seen this as a step in the right direction.

On the whole, the mission of our university should always be to teach and to educate in an environment that encourages people to seek understanding, to seek wisdom, to seek to serve, to seek to live in a way that fulfils everyone's higher purpose. We should revive the ideaology that higher education is truly a means to an end for an individual, whether in terms of finding a job, earning higher income or earning status in society.

GENERAL UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION:

As the Chief Executive Officer of the University, I shall ensure that the underpinning rules and principles of University administration are adhered to, not only in the Vice-Chancellor's office but at all other levels. My administration will therefore accord respect to due process, equal opportunity, cultural diversity and the committee system. Adequate opportunities will be given to staff to participate in University administraton at appropriate levels.

Our University is a "Federal University" and its administration must be run in consonance with the enabling laws of the Federation. Moreover, I shall encourage regular flow of information within the system so that everyone is informed and enriched with knowledge about the University. I shall demand punctuality to scheduled meetings and all Colleges and Departments/Units should take a cue from this vital aspect of univesity culture. Granted that the various segments of the University are coordinated by different individuals, we are pursing the same goals and should therefore cultivate and disseminate a positive image about the University to all and sundry.

The role of the Registry in the dispensation of the day to day University administrative matters cannot be overemphasized. To this end, the Registry would be overhauled so that SERVICOM principles are recognized and made to impact on daily job delivery. Let other administrative units see and desire to follow the administrators to do administration. We cannot demand any less. To this end, the structural capacity of the Registry would be enhanced and strengthened in order to make this possible. Besides, the Bursary, Works and Services, Physical Planning, etc. will be strengthened to give their best to the system. I would galvanize the Bursary Department and the Internal Audit Unit to ensure that staff who have funds approved for one assignment or the other are not distracted from their duties while following up the processing of such funds.

STRATEGIC PLAN, PROGRAMMES AND PROJECTS:

My administration will implement the 2011-2015 Strategic Plan of the University with some embellishments that will give us a roadmap to concretize the visions we have enumerated above. I commend my predecessor and the Governing Council for the steps taken so far in the production of the new strategic plan. The following projects will be brought to the focus in the next five years:

a. Hostels: Deliberate efforts would be made to increase student hostel facilities. This is to accord dignity to the students and enhance their academic performance in a congenial environment.

b. Mini-water works: Efforts will be made to construct a University-owned mini-water worsk through viable boreholes with proper reticulation.

c. Landscaping of Grounds and Creation of Gardens: The aesthetic value of the University would be improved upon through landscaping of grounds and construction of gardens and walkways.

d. Expansion of Academic Facilities: Pragmatic steps would be taken to ensure the completion of on-going buildings and commencement of new ones to close every gap in the University's carrying capacity.

e. Improvement of Electricity: This would be tackled through procurement of more generators in the interim, hoping that the huge investment being made by the Federal Government through IPP initiatives would pay off soon.

f. Staff Quarters on Campus: My administration would take the bull by the horn by investing on the construction of staff quarters on campus. This will create community life for the University and alleviate some of the nagging problems beign experienced by staff that come from far distances. It will also facilitate the role of in-loco parentis of staff to students.

g. Pool Vehicles for Deans/Directors: My administration will ensure that pool vehicles are provided for Deans/Directors to enhance their work.

h. Provision of satellite facities: Efforts would be made to link offices of Deans/Directors and Heads of Departments to Satellite Communications to keep them informed of happenings all over the world.

i. Expansion of ICT Facilities: This will be pursued in order to make same a tool for teaching and learning. A functional e-library will be put in place as well as e-lecture rooms. Internet facilities would be made available and affordable to all members of the University Community.

j. Procurement of New Water Tanker: To alleviate the suffering of staff living in isolated locations with acute water shortage, the procurement of a new water tanker will receive attention.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT:

An aggresive staff development programme that would benefit teaching and non-teaching staff would be encouraged. Staff would be able to attend conferences at least once per year. A University wide Staff Development Committee will be put in place for proper management of all forms of investment in human capital.

STAFF WELFARE:

Staff welfare matters would receive prompt attention. Regular payment of salaries and allowances should continue. The Works and Services Department will be made to improve the efficiency in the delivery of water to staff that place request for same. Staff disciplinary matters will be handled expeditiously following due process and as enshrined in the enabling laws and staff conditions of service. The University appraisals calendar will be strictly followed to ensure that staff who are qualified for promotion earn it as and at when due.

STUDENT WELFARE:

A Student Welfare Board will be established to be presided over by the Dean of Students Affairs, who will make regular reports to the Vice-Chancellor. The Guidance and Counselling Unit of the University will be properly equipped to extend counselling services to all students with a view to curbing negative or deviant behaviours such as cultism, violence, rape, robbery, prostitution, intimidation, molestation, extortion, etc. The scenic beauty of existing hostel environment would be improved upon to make our students appreciate living in decent and well kept surroundings. All bottlenecks and frustrating academic experiences of students would be reduced to the barest minimum so that those who want to excel will have no encumbrances.

SECURITY:

The Security Unit will be restructured to ensure adequate security for members of the University community and property. A crack section will be created to solely track cult groups and other subterranean groups. The State Government/Police Patrol Teams and the State Security Services (SSS) would be linked up to provide adequate security surveillance on campus. The necessary logistics will be provided to ensure that the University is kept safe at all times.

LABOUR RELATIONS:

My administration is a labour friendly one. I recognize all the labour unions ASUU, SSANU, ASUTON and NASU as essential in the governance of the University and would therefore handle their affairs with a good sense of empathy, initiative and dexterity, so that any looming problems are nipped in the bud through dialogue and proper communication channels. I hereby call on the leaders of all unions to seek information and avoid misinformation. We are going to work for the corporate destiny of the University together.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS:

I place high value on our host communities as significant stakeholders in the MOUAU enterprise. My administration will promote good relationship with the various categories of people who make up the University host communities. They have undertaken to host the University and should therefore see a symbolic cord linking the University and them. Like the Igbo man would say, "ndu mmiri, ndu azu, mmiri atala, azu anwuna." I request the host communities to give the University a chance to grow for our mutual benefit. As the University grows, the communities grow. As we make waves through our teaching and research, the communities are projected. Prominent and well meaning sons and daughters of the host communities who have made their mark in government, commerce, industry and other corporate organizations, would be incorporated into the University Host Communities Relations Committees to engender good understanding.

REVENUE GENERATION:

It appears that the umbilical cord through which resources are transferred from the proprietor of the Federal Universities to them is being gradually severed. To brace up for the resource challenges ahead, I envision that we should increase our internal revenue generation efforts. To this end, existing revenue generation ventures will be strengthened for pure commercialization e.g. Guest House, Petrol Station, Livestock and Crops Farms, Continuing Education Centre, etc. Equally, new revenue yielding ventures will be created and commercialized in areas like apiculture, fishery, forestry-based products, bottling of water, bookshop, consultancy, etc. The management of MOUAU Nig Ltd, will be reviewed in order to attract experienced business managers who would run the venture like business.

The College of Applied Food Science and Technology would be encouraged to go into such researches like canning of food and fruits common in our zone, while the College of Natural and Applied Sciences would be encouraged to liaise with the Health Services Unit to conduct different medical tests for fresh students, new staff and members of the public. The mushroom project will be reactivated to produce mushrooms on a commercial scale. Patenting of research findings would be supported to boost revenue generation in the University. The Consultancy Unit will be strengthened to attract external patronage by both governement and other relevant agencies.

MAINTENANCE CULTURE:

All over the Nation and its Universities, one of the embarrassing problems is the lack of maintenance culture. My administration will ensure that facilities such as buildings, equipment, vehicles and other fixed assets are regularly maintained. The system must be made to derive maximum benefits from all its facilities and equipment by ensuring that they remain good to last for a long time.

PEER REVIEW OF PUBLICATIONS:

A committee to screen and peer review publications/books would be set up. only peer reviewed books will be sold at the University Bookshop. This will curtail the problems arising from sale of substandard books and other publications to students and other stakeholders.

CONCLUSION:

Distinguished Colleagues, my administration as started. We cannot exhaust all we intend to do in this short address. Nevertheless, we are in a dynamic institution which cannot be insulated from global changes. I foresee that we shall move as the world moves, emphasizing quality education which I think is a constant variable. I challenge all staff and students to showcase the quality they are made of as this would give me greater zeal to seek the good of all within and beyond the shores of this nation.

Were you rejected in the past or marginalized? This is the time for you to overcome. Were your eyes blurred before? Now, open your eyes and behold a clearer pathway of success. God who created all things is still in the business of calling the things that are not as if they were. I surrender myself to His will and direction. Let us drive at the same speed to engineer and offer our students quality education and prepare them for life after University. Let us be proud of our local contributions before we beam our searchlight into the national scheme of things. As much as possible, let us remove structural obstacles and the attendant discouragement that confront our students.

I conclude that we are the MOUAU! It is with a proper focus that our roots can deepen in its local and global ambitions. Let the institution maintain its focus on the quality of education it provides for its students and on preparing them as confident citizens and potential leaders in a more challenging environment.