VC urges Anambra government to provide security for students, workers

•Taraba varsity’s NASU refuses to call off strike

The Vice Chancellor of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Igbariam in Anambra State, Prof. Fidelis Okafor has urged the state government to provide adequate security for the students and workers.

The VC solicited the completion of the perimeter fence around the university to prevent herdsmen and other intruders from entering the campus.He also asked for further intervention by the state government and philanthropists.

Okafor made the appeal at the weekend at the eight convocation of COOU when a total of 2,851 students graduated from the university.He disclosed that 2, 378 of the students had bachelor’s degrees, 195 postgraduate diplomas, while 257 had masters’ degrees and 21 Ph.Ds.

Okafor explained that 13 of the graduates came out in First Class, 649 in second class upper and 1,348 in second class Lower, while 351 made third class and 17 had pass degrees.

He stressed that the university had become a centre of excellence, following the number of laurels it had won in different fields at international, national and state competitions.

According to him, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) ranked the university second to the university of Benin for adhering strictly to the boards guidelines on admission.

“In terms of research development, the COOU has been accredited by the American Academic and Scholarly Research Centre and among the only nine accredited centres in Nigeria.

“It is remarkable to note that all the 62 academic programmes offered at the university are fully accredited by the National University Commission (NUC). Also, about 18 of its workers are currently undergoing training in the best universities in USA, Europe and Asia,” he said.

While commending Governor Willie Obiano for his timely funding of the university’s projects, he said the construction of infrastructure was on-going at the school’s three campuses.

The convocation witnessed the conferment of honourary degrees on former Governor of old Anambra State, Jim Nwobodo, former Deputy Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Kingsley C. Moghalu and former Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Chike Onyejekwe.

Meanwhile, the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of the Taraba State University has refused to call off the strike, which has entered the eight week, as directed by the school authorities

The Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Linus Naiman, told journalists in Jalingo that the directive by the Registrar, Dr. Joseph Lukas would not intimidate the union.He vowed that the workers would not resume work until their demands for earned allowances and pension scheme were met.