Revisiting the White Paper on UniAbuja

The pace of development is painstakingly low, staff welfare and development almost nil, and academic culture systematically eroded;  staff emoluments and other arrears are  hardly  paid, or where they are  paid, they are cut into some horrible and meaningless pieces; conferences, which are  essential part of staff development, whether at local or international level have  […]

The pace of development is painstakingly low, staff welfare and development almost nil, and academic culture systematically eroded;  staff emoluments and other arrears are  hardly  paid, or where they are  paid, they are cut into some horrible and meaningless pieces; conferences, which are  essential part of staff development, whether at local or international level have  suffered greatly;  postgraduate forms have been on sale since last year, yet, admission into the programme has not  started, simply because the vice chancellor wants to generate monies, and no convocation has taken place since his assumption of office.

It is not that Professor Adelabu’s case is completely a hapless one. At least, he has tried to start up one or two projects of his own at the permanent site, but he could do better if only he desisted from unnecessary victimization and work without trying to rubbish or reverse his predecessor’s envious records.

Perhaps, an earlier White Paper on the University of Abuja can help cure their shortsightedness. The paper was entitled, “Views of the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on the Visitation Panel Report into the affairs of the University of Abuja (2004 – 2010).”  The seven-man panel, led by Professor D. A Guobadia, took a candid position on the administration within this period. What appeared very significant is the heavy indictment of the present administration. To put this in proper perspective, the panel related the nature of the system which Adelabu met under his predecessor.  For instance, it commended the former administration under Professor Nuhu O. Yaqub for having vigorously pursued the development of the permanent site of the university, where about four faculties are now domiciled.

Specifically, it said on page 13, item B (iii) “in his bid to define the university as an academic institution, Professor Yaqub’s administration introduced national and International Conferences in the University. ‘Seed money’ in the sum of N10 million was set aside in a special account to run the conferences.  (iv)  the administration also embarked on inaugural lectures.

Then the panel faulted Yaqub’s introduction of four programmes namely: Agriculture, Engineering, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, for what it called “attendant problems”. While it is true that the programmes were not without teething problems as was characteristics of projects in their infancies, it should be noted that these programmes were still pursued with varying degrees of success until Yaqub left the university scene, and would probably have continued without hitches if the current vice chancellor had cared about sustaining them. It is interesting that the panel made a clear reference to this in another page 15 section (g), when it said that “the vice chancellor (Professor Adelabu) did not see the office of the vice chancellor as a ‘continuum’ from the past administration.

For instance, he had not shown serious commitment to the take off of the four new programmes started by the previous administration and the utilization of the Radio station established by his predecessor”. It also noted that, “there was over centralization of functions and activities of the university, and management meetings had not been held regularly.”

In section 4.5.4.1 (findings and observations), the panel wrote, “Since his assumption of office in July, 2009, the panel found that Ad-hoc committees had taken over the role of the statutory and other committees of the university.”

The panel report was highly instructive, and it must be commended for carrying its task with all sense of seriousness and sincerity. However, there were a lot of deficiencies it didn’t care to mention.  It should be stressed that since the present vice chancellor came in, the results of many students have been stuck, while some are missing; convocation ceremonies which had stabilized at the February of every year have not held, no inaugural lectures and the entire academic culture had been systematically eroded.

All these troubling lapses and,  indeed, many more  not listed here for space, had  enraged the university’s chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), when it  threatened to embark on a strike last year, until the Council waded into the matter and set up a committee to look into their grievances.

Startling revelations were already been made before the council, when to the dismay of the students and staff of the university, President Goodluck Jonathan unceremoniously dissolved it last year.  Not that the university community had much regards and trust for  the council members, particularly given the  manner they  “smuggled” in this “internal candidate” and almost always kept sealed lips in the face of clear administrative wrongheadedness and insensitivity to plights of his subjects. At least, for having the guts to wade into that matter did help to light up some faces.

The good news is that the president has graciously allowed the panel to return. They would need to regulate the activities of this vice chancellor and tell him how not to run the University of Abuja like a barn.  This would be one way to redeem their image which was almost battered before Goodluck sent them on sabbatical.

Esther Ode is a postgraduate student of the University of Abuja. She can be reached at [email protected]