The acting Vice Chancellor of Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri, Prof Peter Akah has disclosed that he has within his short time in office eradicated politics in the process leading to the emergence of principal officers, deans of faculties and departmental heads in the institution, as well as plugged all loopholes that encourage irregularities in the admission of students into the school.
Prof Akah who opened up on his efforts at sanitizing the citadel of learning since assumption of office further stressed that he is also focused on regaining lost accreditations and ensuring that all teaching and non teaching staff become computer literate to scale up the chances of improved ratings nationally and globally.
The Vice Chancellor who outlined his vision and mission in an interview with journalists in his office recently, disclosed that he quickly went for the jugular of politics and politicking on assumption of office because for decades, it has been the bane of the institution.
According to him for several years elevation of people to higher offices were done based on criteria that had nothing to do with competence and merit and as a result of that, unqualified and incompetent persons sometimes found themselves in offices they didn’t merit and ultimately added little or no value to the office they occupied in particular and, the institution as a whole.
However, due to his ambitious goal to bring back the lost glory of the school, the acting VC said he strictly followed due process and laid down procedures including conduct of elections in setting up current academic structures which his adminstration intends to leverage on to rebuild the institution.
Prof Akah added that with the successful completion of that first process by the management, his sights have shifted to repositioning and strengthening academic activities in the institution.
To this end, he revealed that he has been able to get the schools medical college in Orlu back on track even as he disclosed that final year medical students will graduate in the next few weeks.
Similarly, he disclosed that his management is working round the clock to ensure full restoration of accreditation to all courses in the college as well as to other courses that lost accreditation.
Continuing, the VC revealed that he has also taken immediate steps to checkmate admission fraud which he noted has been the root cause of the seeming poor academic standard in the institution.
He explained that he personally took it upon himself to write out laid down admission procedures and forwarded the same to all those involved in the admission process, pointing out that he will not hesitate to sanction any staff that went contrary to the admission law.
He expressed disappointment with the low level of computer literacy in the institution which he noted is hindering its progress in academic rankings at home and abroad.
He disclosed that he is already in talks with Chief Leo Stan Ekeh of Zinox Computers towards mapping out strategies towards revolutionizing the university’s Internet landscape which he affirmed will brighten its chances of regaining its lost glory.
The Vice Chancellor who acknowledged that the task ahead is daunting, added however, that he is poised and focused on overcoming all of them as his ultimate goal is to restore the lost glory and image of IMSU.
He stressed that he will not do it all alone but, with the staff of the institution pointing out that it is because of his understanding of the critical role human capital will play in the actualization of his roadmap, that he has decided to make their welfare and wellbeing a top priority.
