-By Joseph Obaro Ikupa Worldwide Publicity Secretary, AAU Alumni Association
The Ambrose Alli University Alumni Association Worldwide is to partner with the Edo State Government to reposition the university. This was the position reached today at the Government House, Benin City when the Worldwide President, Dr. Clifford Omozeghian and his executives paid a courtesy call on the Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki. The Governor who said that since the university belongs to Edo State Government, he must do all it takes to reposition the university to restore it’s lost glory.
The Governor expressed his displeasure over the issues of transcripts and certificates racketeering, sexual harassment and undue grandstanding by some members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the institution.
He said he has instructed the law enforcement agencies to carry out further discrete investigation on all the issues unearthed by the Special Intervention Team recently and anyone found culpable shall be decisively dealt with according to the law.
Earlier in his address, the Worldwide President informed the Governor that his administration is pleased to identify with the state government as partners in progress.
In his words: My Executive strongly believes that the corporate unity of the University free of bitterness and acrimonious war of attrition is fundamentally essential for the pursuit of the mission of the University. An inclusive administration that is committed to fairness, equity, rule of law, inclusive governance and sustainable development is therefore salutary.
Continuing, Dr. Omozeghian said: intellectual vibrancy and accomplishments of several members of the academics and students currently in the University is generating invaluable word-of-mouth marketing amongst several social and professional networks across and beyond the country. As Alumni, we are strengthening capacities and forming an ever growing delegation of Ambassadors on behalf of our alma mater. It is important to note that only students with good memories of the University would want to come back in the future to support the university. Therefore, the current crisis is inimical to growth and development. Consequently, the association under my leadership shall collaborate with the state government, management of the university and other stakeholders to initiate Programmes of engagements that will impact students greatly with lasting memories. In view of this, while commending the standard of training and learning in the university, there is need for improvement through strategic engagement with all the relevant stakeholders under a peaceful and cordial relationship through: creation of opportunities for linkages with foreign universities, internship placement for undergraduates and post graduates students, curriculum development to make the programmes competitive, improving on students reading habits and interfacing with unions on academic standards and staff performance based on our experience and exposure after graduation from the university.
Noting that the university is underfunded and the onerous task of funding cannot be left to government alone, Dr. Omozeghian recommends the convocation of relevant stakeholders including the alumni, parents, students union, university management and other interests on how to effectively fund the university.
To this end, Dr. Omozeghian said, “we are willing to partner in restoring the glory of the institution and repositioning it to meet high level man power needs of the state and the country both in quantity, quality and effectiveness through actionable blue print.
“In conclusion, your Excellency Sir, it is our prayer that the committee constituted to reconcile the management and the unions should be strengthened to realize the goals urgently. We look forward to the re-composition of a Governing Council consisting of eminent personalities set up at the expiration of the tenure of the University’s Special Intervention Team (SIT) to ensure the university is financially sustainable and policies, finance and properties are effectively and efficiently superintended.”
Going forward Governor Obaseki charged the alumni to thinker amongst themselves on how to sustain the new tempo that the university will attain at the end of the current sanitization efforts.
