By Okechukwu Onuegbu
The newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Bernard Odoh, on Tuesday, said his administration would improve power supply on campus by launching 7 metre solar power.
Odoh stated this at University auditorium while addressing the management and staff of the institution shortly after a church mass (service) and blessing of his office having formally assumed office as 7th substantive Vice Chancellor last week.
The new Vice Chancellor, who was appointed on October 29th by the University Council after topping 17 other candidates in a transparent election, added that his team would equally improve access to road and other infrastructure, including building and renovating hotels to accommodate more students on campus.
According to him, renovation of the Vice Chancellor's accommodation where he would stay was ongoing within the campus just as the security had been boosted to guarantee the safety of the students and staff of the citadel of learning.
He said the university under his watch would improve on access to grants and research, enforce discipline and reward hardworking, even as he warned against dishonesty, indiscipline and illicit drug abuse.
"We estimate a ₦70 billion investment for these initiatives over the next five years, with funding from tuition, partnerships and grants. Our funding and partnership committee will prioritise public-private partnerships (PPP) in raising ₦10 billion. We targets ₦5 billion in grants by 2028 through strategic collaborations," he added.
The Vice Chancellor further dismissed all the claims against the processes leading to his emergence, noting that it followed due process, even as he urged support of the university community in his efforts to reposition UNIZIK as among the top fifty in Africa.
"I am committed to establishing NAU among the top 50 universities in Africa while we reshape and reposition the university to contest for a position in the 500 universities in the global ranking of universities through the disruptive development model is (2024-2029) - a strategic framework to boost academic quality, innovation, and global competitiveness," he maintained.
Some of the university's management and staff who spoke at the gathering, including Professor Kenneth Nwogu from the Faulty of Law, expressed confidence on his ability to deliver and urged others to queue behind him as they were optimistic that he would never disappoint Unizik.