UNIJOS VC renders account of stewardship, rates self high

Vice chancellor of the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Plateau State, Prof. Seddi Sebastian Maimako has disclosed that despite the daunting challenges that heralded his administration, it has excelled in human resource development.

Prof Maimako while rendering account of his one-year stewardship at an interactive session with reporters said one of the university’s greatest achievements within the period was the introduction of a new promotion policy, which takes into consideration staffs away on study leave.

“Before now, staffs on approved full time study leave are excluded from promotion because they were not on ground, but since our assumption of office, we have introduced a new policy on promotion which has been approved by the Governing Council. By this new policy, any staff who returns from study leave is promoted once he meets the criteria.”

“In the same vein, within the period under review, we have been able to off – set backlog of salary arrears of assistant lecturers and graduate assistants which had been pending for several years. We have also paid hazard allowance to technologists working in the university, while the arrears of responsibility allowance for 2016 has been paid to entitled staff,” Maimako stressed.

On admission, the vice chancellor disclosed that of the 25,000 candidates that applied for the 2016/2017 session, 6,000 were considered.

According to Maimako, barely a month into his tenure on June 23, 2016, his personal residence was attacked by armed men which resulted in the death of one of the institution’s security men on duty.

Besides, he lamented that at the peak of the first semester examination for the 2015/2016 academic session, the main library complex of the university situated at the Naraguta campus was gutted by fire which destroyed the learning resources of two faculties and six departments.

The vice chancellor and his management team had earlier received the 1984 set of the university from the faculty of medical sciences led by General Titewa Amusu of the Nigerian Army Medical Corps.

Amusu who informed the university team that they came in respect of the institution’s burnt library announced a first intervention of N500, 000 to rebuild the library.