Ojukwu varsity VC charges new HoDs on excellence, development

The acting Vice Chancellor, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Prof. Kate Azuka Omenugha, has charged the newly appointed Heads of Departments (HoDs) to be determined to aggressively pursue excellence for the growth and development of the University.

Prof Omenugha announced the appointments, whom she referred to as Team 3vs, while declaring open a  two-day capacity building programme for the varsity staff, held at the school auditurium Igbariam campus, on Tuesday.

The team 3vs, as she explained, involves the Deans, Directors, and Heads of Departments explaining that the 3vs are Values, Viability, and Visibility. 

The acting Vice Chancellor informed that for the “Vs” to be entrenched, the Team should be able to build trust, understand the vision better, ensure total buy-in, promote long-term collaborations and relationships, create a shared vision and objectives, and be ready to mitigate imminent threats and uncertainties.

Explaining further, she emphasised that achieving the anticipated success of the administration would never be easy as inadequate resources, conflict of interests, insufficient capabilities, lack of drive and passion, fatigue, and cynicism are all factors that might pose challenges but they must resolve to be firm as Leaders for the general good of all.

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According to her, “Our vision is to enhance the visibility of COOU through reforms in teaching and learning and disruptive academic thrusts. We shall deploy discipline and the rule of law as a gateway to academic excellence and the highest standards of professional growth. 

“We shall deploy strategies that would make the university look beyond subvention from the State Government, especially to provide for the infrastructural and physical development of the University,” she said. 

Delivering a paper on “Building a team spirit to achieve the COOU vision”, Prof. Uche Veronica Amazigo, a retired Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Programme on Onchocerciasis (River Blindness), discussed her journey in WHO and how Team spirit became the magic wand during her days at the World Health Organization.

She charged the university to key into the vision of the administration and vigorously work as a team while delivering their services at Faculties, Directorates, and Departments stating that if that is done effectively, Ojukwu University in the next 5 years would be a force to reckon with. 

Other paper presenters include; the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, Prof. Osita Chiaghanam, who delivered a paper on “Understanding the Duties of a Head of Department”; the University’s Ag. Bursar, Dr. Nath Udezo who discoursed “Accountability, Transparency; the Roles of the Heads of Departments” and the University’s ICT providers; Tenece Solutions who integrated the Team on the various I.T reforms of the new administration and the plan for full digitization of the University. 

Participants expressed excitement at the initiatives and drive of the new Acting Vice Chancellor. They noted that this is the first time in the history of the University, that the University Management as led by the Vice Chancellor is organizing such a program. They prayed to the Vice Chancellor to sustain the momentum as they were ready to work and support her to ensure that all her good intentions were met. 

Tribune Online gathered that the two-day programme is for Tuesday 9th and Friday 12th April, 2024, where the university Ethics Committee will be inaugurated and the university will sign up as one of the global partners of Ethical University around the World as a way of effectively driving of her visibility.