|
FOR THE RECORDS
UST Before Prof Fakae's Coming
Prof. Barineme Beke Fakae, V. C. R/S UST has evidently proved
that his choice by Governor Amaechi as the V.C of the State
owned University was not a mistake, one visit to the university
would speak volumes of the capabilities and creativities of this
Ogoni born academician and administrator per excellence.
Only recently the robust Rivers State House of Assembly invited
Prof. Fakae, to have first hand information otherwise an account
of stewardship about the transformed university.
But despite short notice given to Fakae in line with the
invitation, he was not short of words and answers to sensitive
questions in connection with the university before the
Lawmakers.
These were the words of Prof. Fakae, at the Rivers State House
of Assembly.
"I have just received an invitation (RefRVHA/HC/ED/231) calling
for memoranda and participation in a public hearing on the
"deplorable conditions of academic activities" at the Rivers
State University of Science and Techno logy.
May I humbly state that the present process of open debate about
the University's academic processes is a further erosion of the
University Autonomy of which the authorities of the University
and the staff Unions have been stressing, but as a loyal
citizen, I choose to make the following few statements.
As you well know, RSUST was the first State University and the
first University of Science & Technology in Nigeria. The
founding fathers envisioned it to be a World Class University
that should solve the peculiar challenges of the region.
The Founding Fathers stated as its mission, the Rivers State
University of Science and Technology should seek to offer men
and women a unique educational opportunity and experience for
the pursuit of learning in the relevant branches of knowledge.
To this end, the institution should:
1. Encourage and promote excellence in original, creative
and scholarly research (basic and applied) in fostering a
learning process with problem solving content;
2. Support and sustain the expansion of the frontiers
of human knowledge in the various disciplines, responding
especially to the contemporary scientific and technical demands
and challenges of the society; and
3. Improve the appreciation and development of the region's
abundant physical, natural and social resources, as well as
advancement of her rich cultural heritage through an approach
and strategy anchored on excellence and creativity.
THE IMMEDIATE PAST STATE OF THE UNIVERSITY
The University was doing well until about 2000 when its fortune
started to plummet and things deteriorated to the extent that by
2005, only 8 out of the 39 academic programs that were run were
accredited by the National Universities Commission (NUC). For
instance, when Architecture was visited by the NUC in November
2005, it scored only 20.7% which was far below the minimum score
of 70%. The University also lost its licence to run the MBA
programme. It remained so until 2007 about five professors from
the university approached the visitor and Executive Governor of
Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, that the condition
in the university was deplorable and as such dead and buried"
because:
Cultism was at its highest and our children died in their
numbers
Over-admission and admission racketeering was glaring and
was enjoyed by those who benefitted
Admission system undermined merit and NUC-approved
carrying-capacity
Infrastructural and environmental decay were its
hallmark
Records were in shamble-with an Exams & Records Unit that
didn't have records inside it and this created difficulties in
obtaining transcripts.
Results for examined students were not released as at when due.
Convocation did not hold
Certificates were not issued from 2002
Academic corruption with examination malpractices were
outstanding.
Sales of grades for cash, skin and kind were commonplace
phenomena
Obsolete Financial Administrative system existed
Laxity, truancy and entrenched ethnicity and nepotism at
the expense of merit and excellence
There was low moral in both workforce and students
Strong resistance to change and Innovation
Improper data handling
Inefficient manual processes with undue bottlenecks
Lack of synergy and integration of process
Low Information Communication Technology (ICT) Literacy
Incessant strikes and disruption of academic programmes
were predictable
Total breakdown of discipline, law and order in all
ramifications of the University
You may recall that this plethora of irregularities necessitated
the setting up of the powerful Prof Muzali Jubril Visitation
Panel by the Rivers State Government in 2005. The release of the
Government White Paper which may identify those that were
culpable is still awaited and its release and implementation may
help in solving most of the systemic problems because some
people are still operating in the University as if it were a
civil service where targets may not be expected.
All these created credibility challenges for the university and
this was why the Governor insisted that we undertake a Rescue
Mission in the University!
You will agree that the problems that we met on ground were
enormous and the relics of those problems are the ones
manifesting today. To tackle these hydra-headed challenges to
restore the lost glory of the University, we adopted the
following strategies:
1. Recovered lost programmes
2. Prepared the first Academic Brief ever
3. Restored the infrastructure and tackled
environmental degradation.
4. Stream lined students' records
5. Streamlined financial processes and records for the sake
of accountability
6. Insisted on good service delivery and prompt release
of results
7. Conducted intensive appraisals to clear backlog of staff
promotion
8. Insisted on compliant to extant rules and regulations
Now, by external assessment, through the grace of God, RSUST can
be said to have come out of the woods and is on a steady path of
progress. Our modest achievements include but not limited to the
following;
Our students no more die because of cultism
In less than 12 months we had 100% accreditation for all
courses presented to NUC and by this we are one of the respected
Universities as cited by the regulatory authorities
Our infrastructure and environment are now second to none
We are the foremost e-varsity with an enviable 10 years
results online-downloadable from any part of the world which
allows for instant transcript preparation
Students now see their results without bribing their way and
parents can confirm their children and wards status online
Students get hostel allocation of their choice of
first-come-first-serve basis, also online
Admission is strictly by merit and the admission lists are
publicly displayed
Online processes have removed corruption - (because we now run
a cashless University and students' statistics are known. Please
permit me to say that to the Glory of God and the pride of our
alumni in this House and the Rivers people that the introduction
of ITC in RSUST has changed the way the business of education is
conducted.)
Our records are now traceable and safe.)
All backlogs of certificates from 2002 have been signed
and are available for collection.
Our international collaboration has picked up (A good
example is the collaboration with UNEP in the environmental
studies that produced the last widely accepted Environmental
Report on Ogoni Land)
The Rivers State Government is now paying the highest
salaries recorded in our University system.
Just recently, we graduated 25,917; graduates out of which 3,552
were postgraduates so it may not be exactly true that the
University has not graduated people. The just concluded
convocation cleared the backlog of grandaunts from 2004 to 2010.
All these graduates have also collected their certificates. The
next convocation, for the current graduating students, has been
fixed for March 31, 2012 by the University senate and from then
on, convocation will be an annual event!
Agreed, there may be pockets of problems but this does not
warrant the running down of our own institution which we have
laboured so hard to rebuild. During the last 19th to 23rd
convocation ceremony, the visitor to the University, Rt Hon.
Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, Executive Governor of Rivers State who
is not known to hide his feelings requested the audience to sing
with him "Things are getting better" in RSUST. The Alumni have
been in high spirit because the credibility problem of the
University has been overcome and the University is blazing in
its trail. It is most disheartening to hear just a week after
that the University is collapsing or on its lowest ebb.
We'll take exception to this because we cannot directly confront
the Governor's judgement by these statements.
I speak without fear of contradiction that our university is the
most equipped and ranks amongst the top State Universities in
this country and as a State we have to be proud of it. We are
also glad to announce that our Pro-Chancellor and chairman of
council, Justice Karibi-Whyte (retired), is the current chairman
of Pro-Chancellors of State Universities in the country and our
Dean of Postgraduate School, in Nigeria. Professor Emmanuel
Amadi is the National Vice Chairman of the Committee of Deans of
Postgraduate Schools in Nigeria.
The ongoing Institutional Accreditation Team from NUC led by
Prof Salihu Mustafa, during their courtesy call on the Governor
and visitor on Tuesday December 6, 2011 was unequivocal in the
commendation of our University as one of the few that satisfied
the stringent conditions that were necessary to be met for a
University to qualify for the Institutional Accreditation. Out
of the 117 Universities in the country, only 27 qualified to be
visit and RSUST happen to be one of those. In closing remarks by
the NUC team only superlative terms were used to describe
performance of RSUST. It is however disheartening that
such University could be described to being in "pathetic state"
even within the week that the regulatory body was carrying out a
very important function that would determine the continuous
existence of the University. It is pertinent to state here that,
it is only the NUC and the Professional bodies that can pass
such judgements on an institution.
In our rescue operation, we concentrated mostly on the
undergraduate programme. Some perceived corruption or inactivity
at the postgraduate level is now receiving attention. In
2005/2006 the University Senate placed on hold further admission
into the LLM programme due to the inability of the faculty of
Law to graduate enrolled students. Senate at its 171st Regular
Meeting on May 10,2010 directed the Faculty of Law to tidy up
the results of those running the MALD programme and present to
the postgraduate school Board for onward transmission to Senate
for consideration. It is pertinent to state that the former Dean
of the Faculty argued that on its own part, the Faculty complied
with the PG School's directive by requesting all the Candidates
concerned to register on-line, as well as pay their School fees
up to date, as required by the University Regulations. Failure
to do these by the affected students, according to her, is what
has led to the present stalemate, as the PG School has properly
refused that they be processed for any examination and defence
of these, since they were no registered students of the
university. A cursory look at the number of students that were
affected indicates that 47% have complied and some have since
graduated.
The University has set up mechanisms to look into ineptitude and
inaction by some individuals, units and Departments with regards
to postgraduate matters. Some persons who may have benefited
from the wrong processes or may be found culpable for wrong
doing in this direction may now be shouting wolf in order to
scuttle the inquest but we, by the grace of God are determined
to giving Rivers people and the society the type of postgraduate
programme and products they deserve. A lot of us including our
alumni in the House passed through sound postgraduate training
and our desire is that others may benefit same from the sound
system we are trying to create.
Measures now in place:
1. In this vein the University Senate has given strict deadline
to completion of programmes
2. We now insist on the availability of
supervisors for postgraduate programs before admission
thus no admission into programmes without committed and
qualified supervisors
3. Supervisors are required to give prescribed periodic
progress report on their postgraduate students.
4. All postgraduate students are required to register online in
order to track their progress
5. The PG Board has been asked to consider the length of
programmes on semester basis rather than the present calendar
month system, so that fees are paid per session instead of per
year- if this is considered, students will no more be defrauded
in times of industrial action which have sadly become part of
this our system.
6. The present Dean of Postgraduate School has
consistently insisted that no student pays fees after the
defence of thesis.
7. All defaulting staff in terms of failure in supervision will
be black listed.
8. Concerning the Law Faculty where a lot of irregularities were
observed by Senate following the petition by some affected
students, Senate has directed that the matter be taken as a
special case. You may recall that a former Dean of this Faculty
was removed by the 9th Governing Council and he is still being
questioned for non-release .of grades. It may be pertinent to
lastly, if in a class of 100, some 2 students (i.e 2%) had a
specific problem it may not be right to characterize the system
by the minor population. In every system, there are always some
unfortunate persons and events and our approach should be to
seek solution and not to generalize the matter or to
characterize the situation as a crisis.
With our modest achievement we desire commendation and support
from this honorable House and we believe that working closely
with the House Committee on Education who has the oversight
function, we may obtain better solution to specific problems
that are identified.
The following were attached to his address to the RSHA:
1. The Convocation Address by His Excellency, Rt Hon Chibuike
Rotimi Amaechi, Executive Governor of Rivers State and Visitor
to the University.
2. Convocation Address by Hon Justice A. G. Karibi-Whyte, the
chairman of Governing Council, RSUST.
3. Convocation Address by Professor Barineme Beke Fakae, the
Vice Chancellor, RSUST.
4. A Report of ICT Development in RSUST.
5. RSUST News Bulletin October 2011
6. An Explanation on the MALD progamme by the former Acting
Dean of Faculty of Law.
7. Driving the RSUST Dream- a film Documentary on DVD
8. Time to shine a film Documentary on DVD
Thank you.
|
