The Abia State University (ABSU), Uturu, has inaugurated a five member team to search across the country for its substantive 9th Vice Chancellor (VC), over which advertisements for applications were recently published widely in various media platforms.
For about two years, the university has been run by Professor Ndukwe Okeudo, having been appointed from the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, by Governor Alex Otti, who is the Visitor.
Professor Okeudo’s appointment followed the termination of the appointment of Professor Maxwell Ogbulu, the then serving VC, ahead of the expiration of his tenure.
The Pro-Chancellor/ Chairman ( PC ) of the ABSU Governing Council, Rt. Hon. Dr. Agwu U. Agwu, a former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly, inaugurated the Search team with a member of his Governing Council, Professor Onwubiko Dike as the Team Chairman.
Other members inaugurated along with professor Dike are Professors (Mrs.) Mary Oluchi Iwuagwu and Sam Agu, both members of the institution’s Senate.
The other two, who are members of the university Congregation, are Professor Anthony Obike and Dr. Osita Igbe, while Dr. Uche Kalu Uduka, a representative of the Registrar, is serving as the Team’s Secretary.
The Pro-Chancellor announced that the Search Team was constituted in line with the extant Section 12 2(b) of the Laws of ABSU (2005), which provides for the Constitution of a search Team.
He said “the objective of this team is to physically visit many universities across the Country to identify and nominate for consideration by the Governing Council, suitable persons, especially Abians, who are not likely to apply for the post of the Vice Chancellor on their own volition, because they feel that it is not proper to do so”
The PC who stated that the Team’s assignment includes obtaining the relevant credentials and documents of the persons they identify, and at the end of the exercise, prepare a comprehensive report on each identified person, and make recommendations to the Governing Council, tasked the team to deliver their assignment within three weeks after their inauguration.
He informed the team that they were carefully selected based on their respective track records to represent the various interest groups as provided in the university law, stating that ” for some time now, this tradition has been relegated to the background, and affected the fortunes of the University in the recent past.
According to Rt. Hon Agwu (PC), his led Council is poised to restore the core fundamental academic culture and tradition that once placed ABSU side by side with other world class institutions, where due process, transparency, effective leadership recruitment exercise is highly promoted.
He, therefore, charged the Search Team members to work with a common purpose, approach their assignment as a formidable team, consult and search widely for most qualified academics, who have the commitment and capacity to lead a digital technology-driven University like ABSU in this 21st century.
The PC further stressed ” the responsibility of recruiting a management team for a global community like our university is an enormous one because, such a management has the obligation of implementing policies, programmes and activities that can help shape the future and destiny of our national leaders”
The Team Chairman, Professor Dike, in reaction promised that his led Search Team will not fail in the assignment, despite that he had not done or undertaken such a sensitive assignment, and expressed optimism for their success, praying for their God’s guidance, and cooperation of stakeholders.
The Pro-Chancellor commended the outgoing VC’s (Professor Okeudo )dedicated and committed strives to reposition ABSU on a fast track within his period in office , praying that the Search Team will identify a round peg that would fill the space that Professor Okeudo will vacate to the expected 9th Substantive VC.
The University community is on the lookout for where the next substantive VC will be recruited from, noting that there are about 100 professors available in the service of ABSU.
According to comments and remarks gathered, ideally, Vice Chancellor should be recruited from within and not from outside.
While some posited that recruiting from within, motivates serving professors within to work hard to attain this terminal VC position, recruiting from outside discourages and demoralizes them.
They cited that in some institutions, VCs recruited externally, took time to acclimatize even, as they did not get the expected cooperation from the workers.