The Senate has accepted to take a new look at the issue of take-off
grants to some federal universities who did not get theirs.
This indication was given at the interractive session between the
Senate Committee on Education, led by its chairman, Chief Uche
Chukwumerije who was on an oversight function recently at the Nnamdi
Azikiwe University, (UNIZIK), Awka.
In apparent contradiction to the spurious petitions by some faceless members of staff against the management of the university, the Senate
committee gave a clean bill of health and commendation to the
authorities and management of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, (UNIZIK) for what it described as good, open, sincere and collective leadership
model which has seen massive development and transformation of the
institution within the last three years of the incumbent
administration under the watch of Prof Boniface Egboka.
Chukwumerije noted after they had toured the university and some of
its campuses that, “I feel challenged and elated by what we saw in
this university when we moved round; I feel ten feet tall as a
Nigerian. We saw what good leadership can do, and what prudent
management backed with sincerity can do”.
According to him, “this is the first university we have been to that
adopted a collective way of running its operations, involving the
students, staff and management”.
The commendations were indeed apt and timely for a university recently
bogged down by internal wrangling that was fuelled by spurious
petitions and accusations of non transparency against the management
by some faceless top members of staff.
The Senator pledged that they would revisit the issue of take-off
grant which has not been given to the university by the Federal
Government since its take over in 1992.
He assured that based on the visible justifiable use of the scarce
resources at its disposal especially on qualitative infrastructure,
academic programmes and human resource development, the Senate would
help the institution to get more funds and assistance from the FG. He
specifically named the Special Education intervention Fund as well as
the Special Projects development Funds.
Addressing leaders of the students Union, Chukwumerije urged all
Nigerian students to lead a life worthy of positive impact so as to
make impression on their chosen fields. Also to develop spirit of
public service for the unity and progress of the Nigerian project.
Earlier in his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof Egboka thanked the
Senate for interest and efforts in the development of education in the
country, which he admitted has assisted immensely. He appealed for the
restoration of the take-off grant due the institution which was yet to
come since inception
