By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki.
The former Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State and incumbent Vice Chancellor of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Elder Professor Chigozie Ogbu, said not less than 100 Academic Staff of the University have either been promoted to the rank of Professors or Associate Professors since he took over the administration of the University.
Professor Chigozie Ogbu disclosed this when the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Ebonyi State Council paid him a working visit in his office at Ezzangbo, the permanent site of the institution.
Enumerating the achievements of the University, Ogbu said apart from achievements in physical infrastructure, his regime had paid utmost attention to research, which had contributed to the academic successes so far recorded by the institution.
"Academic Staff promoted to Associate professors and professors in EBSU are almost over 100 since this administration came on board", Ogbu said
He further noted that the general staff welfare is also a top priority of his administration.
"We were promoting staff nominally without financial benefits due to paucity of fund, but because of the recent intervention of the Visitor to the University, Rt. Hon. Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru who is also an alumnus of the University, we started all the promotions with the financial benefits.
"We have paid June salary and we are preparing to pay July salary as well. Our staff are very happy this time. Promotion of staff is ongoing with the financial benefits and it's been encouraging", he disclosed.
He said the university had made a tremendous achievements in infrastructure development, citing the new Faculty of Education and other facilities at the permanent site of the school as some of the major attractions in the institution.
He disclosed that in next two months,there would be free Internet in the whole university environs, courtesy of National Communication Commission, (NCC), adding that the state governor, Chief Francis Nwifuru had supported the institution in no small measure.
The VC said he fought vigorously to ensure the establishment of research club in the university to boost research activities.
"We have a committee that consider research proposals. Three weeks ago, about 42 Lecturers submitted their research proposal. The committee screened it and I think over 20 were approved, and they have been sent to TETFund for funding".
Ogbu also disclosed that the University would be building an Advanced Research Lab, for the conduct of biological analysis and other research works, saying it was facilitated by the TETFund.
He said the Advance Research Lab which he said is going to be the only one of such Lab in the South East and South South regions of the Country, would be a source of internally generated revenue to the institution.
On the request by the State NUJ Chairman, Comrade Nwafor Samson, for a special consideration for practicing Journalists in the State who wish to upgrade their certificates, especially in post graduate Diploma in Mass Communication, the VC said the university lacks financial capacity to grant such request, but assured of the Management's readiness to assist academically.
"On the issue raised concerning PGD programs in Mass Communication Department, I must tell you that one of greatest problem in this University is funding. In 2014, state subvention was N240m, in 2015, it was reduced to N200m, when I came in here, it was reduced to N150m, but initially, it was N350m a month. It took God's grace for us to survive.
"On top of it, COVID-19 and ASSUU strike came and school was closed and we still have to pay lecturers. It was a very difficult time. By God's grace we weathered that storm and came out. We have been struggling because our major source of income is the students' school fees.
"TETfund has been so much helpful. We feel fulfilled with our new visitor(referring to Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru) one of our own, who saw to the successful dualization of the University road, increased salary of staff by 10 per cent, reduced the school fees by 10 per cent and increased subvention from N180m to N280m.
"After he did that, we have been able to catch up. Infact, we have paid two months salaries. Some of our sister state universities are owing 8 months arrears of salary. We don't have any fund to assist anyone but it should be based on personal effort. The admission is there and we have all the academic resources."
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists NUJ, Ebonyi State Council, Comrade Chinedu Nwafor said the union came to familiarize with the vice Chancellor.
Nwafor expressed the readiness of the union to partner the institution in projecting its programs to the limelights and urged the Vice Chancellor to consider subsidizing the school fees or giving any other waiver to members of the Union who wish to further their academic programs in the university.
