Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Governor Alex Otti has vowed to step on toes as the Visitation Panel to the Abia State University Uturu, ABSU, Thursday turned in its report.
Otti who received the report of the panel, said he would not hesitate to wield the big stick where necessary in his bid to restore the university to its glory days.
He vowed that the era of Management of the institution getting involved in consultancy work or contracts was over.
“We shall not be afraid to step on toes because we were elected to make things right, especially in very strategic institutions like ABSU where a combination of political factors and lack of genuine interest by major stakeholders have engendered deterioration for decades.
“In the new dispensation, things must be different. The era of administrators doubling as contractors and consultants are long gone. As I had consistently told members of my team, one must make a choice between working for the State as a public official and doing business with the Government. No one is allowed to choose both.”
The Governor who also promised to rebuild the institution into a centre of academic excellence, thanked members of the panel for justifying the confidence he reposed in them.
“You justified my confidence in you through your individual and collective commitments. We are optimistic that the excellent work you have put in over the past 90 days would be ultimately helpful in the administration’s quest to return ABSU to the glory days of old.
“What we ultimately seek to achieve is to rebuild ABSU into a citadel of excellence in learning, research and administration.
“We want to frontally confront and eliminate whatever constitutes a threat to our vision of turning the University into a world class institution; one that can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with its peers across the world on all the indices that matter in University education.
“It is my expectation that the recommendations and insights contained in the report put together by the Panel will help us to achieve our goal of robust institutional transformation in the University through the support and cooperation of all the stakeholders.
“My promise is that ABSU shall witness a great rebirth under our watch. Staff of the University shall be availed the right support to improve themselves and become better equipped for the very important assignment of shaping the future of our young ones.
“We shall also make impactful investments, directly, and through partnerships, to improve the learning, and residential environment for students.”
The Governor solicited the support of the university’s alumni as critical stakeholders to complement his Government’s efforts to rebuild the institution.
“The Government is committed to doing its part to revive ABSU but we shall need the support of all stakeholder groups. I want to call on prominent alumni of the institution to get involved in the very important task of rebuilding their alma mater. This is not a time to be aloof because every alumnus is a stakeholder in the University.”
Earlier in a remark, Chairman of the Panel, Prof. Steve Okodudu, said that the great work done by the panel could only yield fruits when the recommendations were studied and implemented.
He thanked the Governor for giving members of the panel the opportunity to serve, adding that they carried out their assignment dispassionately.
