The Acting Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Prof Carol Arinze-Umobi has commissioned over 12 legacy projects to cater for the welfare of students and staff of the institution.
The projects, which cut across three campuses of the institution at Agulu, Mbaukwu and Awka, include 6000 gallon-capacity borehole, 100 solar powered street lights, 2 kitchen buildings for male and female hostels, 2 toilet and bathroom buildings for male and female hostels and one convenience building for the Administrative Block at Mbaukwu. There are also solar energy for Forensic Audit Department and sanitary materials provided at Agulu while Awka have UNIZIK Microfinance Bank LTD, two Dialysis and Renal Machines, Digital X-Ray, three coaster buses for staff, metal Waste Bin for waste disposal and new monitoring and surveillance Unit to enhance security on the main campus
Addressing newsmen after commissioning the projects, Prof Carol Arinze-Umobi said these projects were very significant for members of the university community, and decision not to have executed them, will mean running the system down.
“At the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Agulu in Anaocha council area of Anambra state, we gave the Students’ Hostel a facelift to make it conducive for learning. Then, we equally provided solar energy to Forensic Audit Department as well as sanitary items to the students to sustain their healthy living in the institution.”
At Pre-Degree Programme Study Centre, Mbaukwu in Awka South Council Area of the State, the Acting Vice Chancellor said she was moved by empathy during her First Missionary Journey to address the critical needs of members of the university community.
“During my First Missionary Journey, I went to Mbaukwu and saw the deplorable condition the students were subjected into. These include poor conveniences and lack of kitchen that made students to cook inside their rooms. So I decided to build a modern kitchen as well as toilet for boys and girls separately.
“Also, the campus lacked potable water supply such that the campus was run on commercial water supply. So I constructed a borehole and erected 6000 gallons of water to serve the students while same water was reticulated into the Admin Block that never had such before.
“While this particular project was initiated under my first tenure, it’s actualisation was geared towards the welfare of the students primarily and then the staff,” she said.
The Vice Chancellor’s train moved to the main Awka Campus where over six projects were commissioned.
“Then we moved to Awka Campus where my long term vision of a UNIZIK Microfinance Bank came to fruition to enable the institution manage their own finances by themselves. It will run like a complete Microfinance Bank with all the tenets adhered to. The completed project has been in incubation under successive vice Chancellors of the institution.
“At the Medical Centre, a Dialysis & Renal Machines were commissioned. I have watched my loved ones die of inability to dialyse as a result of the amount of money involved. To dialyse today, the cost is #60,000 and above and you have to do it three times a week. For a salary earner, the patient can only live for a few months before passing on. So I said since the outsiders charge up to #60,000 to dialyse, I have to take a cue from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who crashed the prices of Dialysis in Federal Hospitals to #15,000. I even crashed it more to #12,500 for outsiders while crashing it further to #10,000 and zero naira for staff and students respectively.
“This initiative will have their subvention from the proceeds of UNIZIK Business Venture. While we do the venture of making profit, we should also be doing business of keeping lives of our staff and students. That has led me to propose establishment of Department of Student Welfare to review the welfare of members of the University community and advise the Chief Executive accordingly for onward implementation. The salary you receive monthly cannot take you home. Such reviews must be in tandem with modern development.
“We also saw the Digital X-Ray geared towards making our medical examination and diagnosis more perfect and accurate while reducing mortality rates. Here, in the past, a student was wrongly diagnosed, but was overturned by another hospital outside. So this Digital X-Ray machine can do as many as possible for our students and staff. The one that is free for the students is the Dialysis Machine, #10,000 for staff and 12,500 for outsiders.
Then, we moved to Security Department. My University has suffered a lot in the hands of vandals. Armored cable theft became the order of the day. Hence we decided to initiate Modern Day Technology called Monitoring and Surveillance Technology. Thus, we are monitoring everybody. Many persons are being caught. Therefore, stay clear of UNIZIK and it’s environs. Get out of UNIZIK, there should be no form of hooliganism on campus. We want to be civil here
“Right in front of the Admin Block, three coaster buses were refurbished and designated as Free Unizik Staff Buses. Here, worker come to work on board the buses without paying a dime. By so doing, you have added something in their salaries; not expressly but impliedly. Being able to join the buses from Monday to Friday, the person must have seen something added into his income. Again, I have also linked the maintenance of this buses to UNIZIK Business Ventures. Am going to do an MoU to enable the UNIZIK Microfinance Bank to help in the maintenance of the vehicles.
“Metal Waste Bin that will stand the taste of time in collecting garbages, were also commissioned,” she noted.
Prof Arinze-Umobi however advised the Student Union Government to sensitize the students that these services were made available for them and should be mindful of how to use them.
She further charged the staff of the institution to be focused and voice out their grievances collectively; and not through riot or demonstration. “Love should prevail in UNIZIK, named after the Great Zik of Africa (Nnamdi Azikiwe), a core nationalist under whose vision the school was established. UNIZIK is a blessed school and people should leave it at that,” she concluded.
In their separate reactions, the Director Pre-Degree Programme Study, Engr Prof Paul Okolie; Dean Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Prof Sunday Nduka; Director Medical Services, Dr Umenweke Emmanuel Ogochukwu and Chief Security Officer, Chief Ken Chukwurah applauded the Vice Chancellor for prioritising the welfare of staff and students of the institution.
Responding, the President Student Union Government, Ochuba Chukwusom Samuel promised that students of the institution will make good use of all the facilities provided them, appreciating the Vice Chancellor for being a mother indeed to them.###
