The Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Professor Charles Okechukwu Esimone has said that he actually came, saw and conquered despite challenges in the institution.
Prof. Esimone, the 6th substantive VC of UNIZIK in an interview in Awka said that on assumption of office he launched a vision dubbed Project 200 hinged on five pillars, namely: academic excellence, community service, administrative reforms, Discipline and Advancement.
The VC applauded previous admistrators of the university saying he came to add more to what was on the ground.
Esimone revealed that his previous experience from University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) from where he migrated to UNIZIK and the fact that he had acted for his predecessor before his appointment prepared him for the work ahead.
Esimone further said lecturers of the University now attend and attract more conferences while teaching has been digitalized.
Esimone revealed that he also launched Directorates where innovations are appreciated just as the university use its community service programme to export and impact on its immediate environment, through UNIZIK innovation using UNIZIK FM radio.
Of all these, Esimone said he attracted so many endowments worth over $200 dollars. He also warmed himself to federal establishments and heads of parastatals to attract a lot of funds for projects.
According to him, on assumption of office, he found out that Federal government budget for the university was N60 million out of which N20 million was enveloped and N40 million was mopped up. But he moved that budget to N90million and presently N1.2billion.
Expectedly, Esimone said infrastructural development he brought about is one of the things that gave him joy because he built so many structures.
He also ranked his performance high in staff development. According to him, in his five years in office over 150 lecturers were promoted to professorial cadre and many staff who had their promotion stagnated, including non-academic were given their due promotion.
Apart from this, he said lecturers were encouraged to have their publications in ImpactFactor journals instead of local journals and this gave the university and lecturers more visibility.
Among the areas he felt he did very well was in enthronement of academic culture leading to lecturers learning how to write and attract grants.
The university created great impact in its outreach programmes in agriculture and attracted NIMET to domicile its South East weather centre in the university.
The university also has a viable communuty service, saying the Anambra State Government adopted its 1Youth2Skills programme from the University and that programme may be adopted by the Federal Government. This is actually the baby of Unizik Business School according to him.
“We made significant impact in all the five pillars beginning from academic excellence on this we touched the lives of staff and students”.
“One thing I have done well is to bring this university to be embedded in academic culture and embrace inaugural lectures. If you are a lecturer and all you do is to teach, then you are a civil servant”.
“Our ranking shut up because of our revolution in ICT. It is not just one programme, we digitalised many programmes. Our staff records were digitalized, we have CIRMS where we have details of every staff. The revolution brough about appraisal, on-line processes, evaluation on line” and so on.
“A lot of junior staff were stagnated at a particular level and I removed the bar and gave them due promotion.
“This also affected senior non academic staff. We removed the bar so now we have Registrar 1 and Registrar 2 and they can now ascend to level 15. Formerly, level 15 was attained only if you are the Registrar or Bursar. Now we give them different units to head”.
