th ISSN 0795-3089 25 July, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 29 Consolidate on Success Story in NUS -Okojie Tells AVCNU at Farewell Forum Executive Secretary, NUC, Prof. Julius A. Okojie, with the Chairman, Association of Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (AVCNU) and VC, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Prof Adebiyi Daramola It is not time to despair, but to Addressing the Association of Vice-Chancellors (CVC), in consolidate on the successes Vice-Chancellors of Nigerian Abuja, Professor Okojie said: recorded in the Nigerian U n i v e r s i t i e s ( AV C N U ) , “You have done well to hold forth. University System (NUS), comprising Vice-Chancellors of With your cooperation, the Executive Secretary, National federal, state and private N a t i o n a l U n i v e r s i t i e s Universities Commission (NUC), universities, at a Farewell Forum Commission (NUC) has been able Professor Julius A. Okojie, OON, organised in his honour, at the to perform its responsibility of has said. Secretariat of the Committee of regulation. Together, we have in this edition... Nigerian Shippers Council Benson Idahosa Varsity Page Page Another Garland for Page Produces 49 First Class No. 5 Makes Case for No. 9 Prof. Okojie No. 11 and First PhD at 12th Convocation Maritime Law 25th July, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 29 Merit, 45 per cent Catchment Area and 20 per cent at the discretion of universities. He recalled canvassing this view at a meeting that was held to discuss the status of JAMB, during the tenure of Professor Yusuf Obaje as the Board Chairman. He further observed that, in line with it status, the Board should restrict its self to sending the lists of candidates that score the prescribed national cut-off mark of 180 and above to the universities, while the Senate of Prof. Okojie, addressing the meeting of AVCNU universities review the list and screen candidates, in line with improved on access and quality in its students. According to him, this their peculiarities and admission the last 10 years.” autonomy prescribes that “Senate requirements. He acknowledged The Executive Secretary used the has the powers to admit students the view of the AVCNU that the occasion to comment on the and how to admit them, what to last Computer-Based Test (CBT) knotty issues of Post-Universities teach, who should teach and how conducted by JAMB exposed the T e r t i a r y M a t r i c u l a t i o n to teach. This gives it the right to weakness of the process, as some Examination (Post-UTME), self-regulation.” He stressed that brilliant students could not have Nigerian Research and Education every university Senate had the access to the system, with many Network (NgREN) Project and discretion to set its own admission receiving multiple results. increasing spate of insecurity on policy. Professor Okojie urged the campuses, among others. He said Elaborating on this issue, he said AVCNU to look for ways of the new admission policy that JAMB was supposed to be a managing the challenge, a d v o c a t e d b y t h e J o i n t regulatory agency that sets out effectively and giving the right Admissions and Matriculation guidelines for admission of information to all stakeholders in Board (JAMB) would erode the s t u d e n t s , t o e n s u r e t h a t the Education sector. In times like Autonomy Act and powers of the universities comply with the this, he said, there is the need to Senate of each university to admit government policy of 35 per cent dialogue and also realise that Vice-Chancellor, Ebonyi State University, Prof. Idike; Profs. Okojie and Daramola; Secretary General, CVC, Prof. Michael Faborode and Deputy Secretary General Mr. Olayiwola Adigun MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Page 2 Executive Secretary 25th July, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 29 tasked the Association to rise up by improving on security in their campuses to avert further outbreak of lawlessness. He also urged them to engage the services of security agencies to maintain law and order in and around their campuses. While admitting that the universities were doing well, he said they needed to do better in terms of research and innovation. The best way to guarantee the future of university education is to introduce cost-sharing between A cross section of the AVCNU members at the meeting government and sponsors of students, while basic education a u t o n o m y c o m e s w i t h universities services beyond should remain free. He charged responsibilities. He further noted increasing their optic fibre the NUS to domesticate the that with the different levels of bandwidths, to ensuring much Sustainable Development Goals proprietorship of institutions cheaper services and more (SDGs) agenda of the United within the Association, it had visibility. He noted that it would be Nations, to address national and become necessary to redefine a disservice to the NUS for the regional challenges. He also autonomy, especially for the universities not to explore and called for amicable settlement of private universities. connect to the REN to enjoy its k n o t t y i s s u e s o f l a n d On the NgREN, the Executive benefits. encroachment and demand for the S e c r e t a r y i n f o r m e d t h e The current spate of insecurity in employment of indigenes as staff Association that, after seeing the the land, which had caught up with of Universities to ensure that Network’s capabilities, the the universities, the Executive peace reigns in their immediate Minister of Education gave Secretary said, must be a cause for communities. approval for public universities concern for the Vice-Chancellors. Professor Okojie took time to to use their Intervention Funds He described the recent violence at address the meddling of with the Tertiary Education Trust the University of Port-Harcourt professional bodies in the affairs Fund (TETFund) to subscribe to and Obafemi Awolowo University of the NUS, saying that their roles the NgREN. Ten universities are currently connected to NgREN, with Ebonyi State University, Abakiliki, being the latest entrant. This, he said, was achieved with the collaborative efforts of NUC and the CVC, Professor Okojie stated that the NgREN had gone ahead to e n g a g e t h e s e r v i c e s o f EBSCOHost, which earned the platform a grant of a six-month free subscription of online books and journals, which expires at the end of the year, to further demonstrate its capacity and capabilities. He said that the Prof. Shehu Ado Garki Network would offer the Vice Chancellor, Al-Qalam University, Katsina, making a farewell remark on behalf (OAU), Ile-Ife as worrisome.of theHe Association MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Page 3 Executive Secretary 25th July, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 29 were quite clear. They were only queried the rationale behind the 10-year tenure as filled with to complement the accreditation Board sending admission letters to commendable efforts in the NUS, of programmes by the NUC and candidates, without recourse to the such as the introduction of many not to run a parallel exercise. On age-long traditions of individual new programmes, increase in the Africa Centres of Excellence institutions. The Association a c c e s s a n d q u a l i t y, I C T (ACE) Project, he said, it was noted that in the 60s and 70s, deployment as well as foreign already on record that Nigeria universities enjoyed some levels linkages and programmes. The won 10 out of the 19 Centres in of autonomy ranging from Executive Secretary was West and Central Africa, stressing financial to administrative and described as a father to the that these projects would help the academic, with students paying AVCNU, a very emphatic man, universities develop capacities to tuition fees. AVCNU stated that the whose anger never lasts as well as train more Masters and PhDs. directive by government that a stabilising factor between the Earlier, Chairman of the students should not pay tuition fees Association and Vice-Chancellor, had reduced the capacity of public NUS and the Government. The F e d e r a l U n i v e r s i t y o f universities to perform their body wished him God's grace and Technology, Akure (FUTA), statutory roles in the system. b l e s s i n g s i n h i s f u t u r e Professor Adebiyi Daramola, On the exit of Professor Okojie as endeavours. informed the Executive Secretary the Executive Secretary, the The high point of the ceremony that the position of JAMB in this AVCNU said that he would be was the presentation of a framed year's admission was eroding the remembered for his doggedness picture of the Executive Secretary powers of universities. He also and humour. It also described his as a commemorative souvenir. Prof. Okojie receiving the sourvenir presented to him by the Association Prof. Okojie in a group photograph with members of the AVCNU MONDAY BULLETIN A Publication of The Office of The Page 4 Executive Secretary 25th July, 2016 Vol. 11 No. 29 Benson Idahosa Varsity Produces 49 First Class and First PhD at 12th Convocation Vice-Chancellor BIU, Prof.