The Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Umuagwo in Ohaji/Egbema Local Government Area of Imo State, Prof. Christopher Chiedozie Eze, has explained that he met a new University that was lacking in most facilities and things in other universities in the country.
He said on arrival at the university as the Acting Vice Chancellor, he met a university with dilapidated infrastructures, vandalised classrooms without equipment.
According to him, on assumption of office, he discovered that even laboratories in the institution were not working while the staff were downcast because of positioning.
Prof. Eze during a media chat anchored by the SA to the Governor on Networking, Chantel Adanna Onwuzuruike in his office on weekend, blamed the situation of the university then on a series of vandalisation suffered during the period when the former polytechnic existed.
“Note that there was previously a Polytechnic and by the time the Polytechnic exited, some vandals came in and took the advantage of transition between the Polytechnic and the new University”.
The VC boasted that from November 2022 whenje was made the Acting Vice Chancellor of the specialised university, he has done many things differently to refocus the institution to meet its standard.
He said that he has reinstalled electricity and solar light both in the hostels and in the library which was completed last year.
Prof. Eze said that students who were supposed to be in the hostels but had abandoned it because of lack of certain facilities like electricity have returned and are comfortable.
Continuing, the VC noted that the medical unit which was in comatose on assumption of his duties has now been brought back to life with the procurements of a large number of beds and mattresses.
The VC hinted that the institution, which is almost two years since establishment, are yet to undergo accreditation of courses since his emergence but assured that already the institution has 17 programs that are matured for accreditation.
According to him, the courses include, especially those programs in the faculty of Social Sciences and Management; faculty of Environmental Sciences, Biology, Biotechnology, Biochemistry, physics, Chemistry, Computer among others
He explained that the institution would face its accreditation between October and November this year while expressing hope that by next year, other programs would be matured for accreditation.
On the school fees, the VC categorically stated that there is no demarcation between indigent and non-indigent students in the institution.
According to him, the tuition fees across board which every student pays is N80,000, while he acknowledged the fact that fees for those in engineering departments stands at N260,000 during first session because of the high equipment they use to facilitate their courses while in second session, they pay N120,000.
He said that for those in the faculty of Agriculture, the Governor slashed their fees by 50%; meaning that they pay N60,000 instead of N80,000 as the case may be.
READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
and then