‘Behold the Dawn of a New Era’, Professor Onuchuku Tells Staff, Promises Greater Achievements

The arrival of a new Vice Chancellor to a university raises apprehension, curiosity and outright doubt. Undoubtedly, Professor Okechuku Onuchuku, the Acting Vice Chancellor of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, is aware of this as he occupies the exalted office of the helmsman of the university.

In his maiden address titled “Behold the Dawn of A New Era” to staff of the university at the auditorium on Friday December 3, 2021, Professor Onuchuku reassured his readiness to serve with the best of his ability through inspirational and transformational leadership that would usher in a new dawn that would take the university to greater heights in the academia.

The Acting Vice Chancellor, who declared to the audience that he holds the position in trust for members of the university community, and the government and people of Rivers State, expressed gratitude to God for His abundant mercies and the governor of Rivers State, His Excellency, Nyesom Wike, for finding him worthy for the position.

He also paid glowing tribute to the university community for contributing to growing the institution to its present level of academic and infrastructural development, and specifically acknowledged his predecessor, Professor Ozo-mekuri Ndimele, for the infrastructural development and impressive expansion of academic programmes.

Describing a university as a “work in progress”, he told the gathering to accept the fact that a new era and way of doing things has begun, emphasising that his style of administration would not be the same with that of his predecessors, and pleaded with all men and women of goodwill to work with him in his journey of taking the university to a new destination.

According to him, even older universities still adapt to changes in order to keep abreast with the changing times in a new learning ecosystem, and IAUE would not be different if the dream of the founding fathers of the institution must be actualised.

The Professor of Econometrics and Mathematical Economics further acknowledged the commendable accomplishments the institution has recorded in manpower development, which he noted, are sometimes taken for granted.

He explained that as a leading institution in the comity of specialised tertiary institutions in Nigeria, the expansion of its scope of academic activities in recent times has placed it in a unique position in national development in the years ahead.

And to cope with these new responsibilities, Professor Onuchuku disclosed that he would seek the approval of the governor of the state to construct some legacy projects that would add to the aesthetics of the university, as well as facilitate its operations.

The proposed projects include: a senate building; convocation arena; sports complex; and Vice Chancellor’s lodge. Other include purpose-built staff quarters; more students’ hostels and classroom blocks, and construction and resurfacing of internal roads, while the St. John’s and Ndele campuses would be put into maximum use to serve the university better.

The university helmsman equally hinted of some urgent reforms in the postgraduate programmes of the university to align with National Universities Commission’s minimum benchmark in the area of admission, course duration, examination, supervision, carrying capacity and thesis defence, same as the undergraduate counterpart would be harmonized in line with the practice in other Nigerian universities.

Henceforth, all programmes leading to the award of degrees in education, such as BA. Ed, BSc. Ed and B. Ed would be domiciled in the Faculty of Education. Similarly, Agricultural Science would be upgraded to full-blown faculty, whereas its Technical Education component would be housed in the Faculty of Education.

In the same vein, Professor Onuchuku has directed that all school charges be reverted to the old school charges approved by the senate, while indigent students would be allowed to pay their charges in two installments if they are unable to pay once.

In the same way, he directed that the fees portal earlier closed be reopened to enable all returning and extra year students pay their charges and continue with their programmes.

The postgraduate students will also benefit from this generosity. However, he cautioned that the concession should not be abused.

To retain public faith in the capacity of higher education to lift the society out of its many challenges, the VC said the research and development unit would be strengthened to engage in high impact research that would be useful to the industry.

Likewise, the quality assurance and quality control unit would be restructured to deliver on its core mandate.

Another area of concern to this administration is entrepreneurship education, which would be bolstered to prepare students to launch themselves out on their own as industry-ready graduates. He attributed the decision to the new process of wealth creation through creativity and innovative thinking in what has become the new knowledge economy, which has replaced the era of using raw materials to create ‘wealth of nations’.

To achieve this, students would be taught business management and customer management skills, team-spirit, financial, analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as critical thinking and planning.

On students and staff welfare, the erudite economist declared that his administration would proactively provide prompt and quality municipal services that would create enabling environment for the students to excel in their academic endeavours, while assuring that all legitimate issues of staff welfare and other entitlements would be addressed within the enabling laws.

However, the Students’ disciplinary committee and the security department, he stressed, would be reorganised to confront all acts that are adjudged to be at variance with the terms of each student’s admission. He added that security of life and property of staff and students would be given adequate attention, and warned that all vices and acts of brazen impunity from staff and students would not be tolerated.

While lamenting the negative publicity about the university in the last few months, he reminded all morally bankrupt lecturers and administrators that the reputation of the university is predicated on the degrees awarded to the students upon finding them worthy in character and learning, insisting that ethical matters most be taken seriously, and warned that criminal elements would be punished.

As a stickler to extant rules and regulations, Professor Onuchuku assured that he would not circumvent the University Act, which he described as the yardstick upon which his actions would be anchored, as he advised against cutting corners and making cheap compromises.

He appealed to the staff to join hands with him in an unbroken comradeship to tackle the challenges that are confronting the university, while pledging not to take such support for granted.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the institution, Comrade Endurance Joseph, his Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) counterpart, Comrade Chisa Egwu, and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) chairperson, Comrade Florence Fiberesima, have pledged to create the enabling environment for the VC, while also demanding for the welfare of their members.

In addition to teaching and research, Professor Onuchuku is also a seasoned administrator, hence, is not new in the corridors of administration in and outside the university environment.

He has occupied several positions, among which are Head of Department of Economics, Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences, Director, University of Port Harcourt Business School, Board member of U&C Microfinance Bank Ltd, member of the University of Port Harcourt Governing Council, among others.

Professor Okechuku Onuchuku attended Sacred Heart State School, Diobu, Port Harcourt from 1971 to 1976, and Government Secondary School, Eneka, Port Harcourt from 1977 to 1982.

He had his higher education at the University of Port Harcourt, from 1986 to 1990, where he obtained B.Sc. (Hons.) in Economics with second class upper division, and obtained PhD in Economics from the same university in 1998.

He started his teaching career in 1992 as Assistant Lecturer in the former Rivers State College of Arts and Science, now Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt, but moved over to the University of Port Harcourt in 1995, also as an Assistant Lecturer.

In 2010, he was appointed a Professor of Economics in the University of Port Harcourt, with specialisation in Economic Theory and Policy and Quantitative Economics (Econometrics and Mathematical Economics).

He is a life member of the Nigerian Economic Society and became its National Vice President in 2015.

Professor Onuchuku is a team player, motivator, counsellor, a father and friend to all. He is a sports enthusiast and a former goal keeper of the University of Port Harcourt soccer team in his undergraduate days.

He is loved and celebrated by his students, including indigent supervisees, both indigenes and non-indigenes, whom he has offered financial support to offset their research burden.
Above all, he is an advocate for quality education.