The Acting Vice Chancellor of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof. Blessing Didia has denied the existence of cultism in his institution.
He said the University under his leadership will be an entrepreneurial university that will compete with World University to increase revenue base.
Prof. Didia made this known at a press conference to mark the 28th convocation ceremony of the institution, which holds on Saturday 9th April, 2016.
The Acting Vice Chancellor explained that the entrepreneur scheme when completed will make the university to be self sustaining and not to depend on government for all her activities and programmes as a strategic planning committee has really been set up.
“No university can strive without government grants and donations but we want to be financially independent” said the Acting Vice chancellor.
He stated that the university shall be graduating a total of 5,067 students of 2014/2015 academic session noting that Governor Nyesom Wike has reinstated some staff members to their duty post with all rights and privileges to commence the healing process.
The Acting Vice Chancellor said the University has suspended the controversial guidelines for appointment and promotion of staff while releasing the delayed and denied staff promotion and restored check-off dues to unions and renovated some staff houses, offices and reconstructed the staff club amongst others since his assumption of office.
Answering questions from journalists, Prof. Didia said the Nigeria University Commission (NUC) has approved and accredited 12 programmes of the university by their professional bodies.
On the issue of sports in the university, he told journalists that no sports arena yet but very soon there will be sports development as a space has already been provided.
The Acting Vice chancellor explained that students who collect money from shop owners and some pockets of stealing have been dealt with squarely.
Answering question on disparity on school fees, he narrated that after a careful research University of Science and Technology students paid the honest school fees in the federation saying the gap is very minimal.
He told the media that the school of medicine will soon commence as everything is ready for the foundation laying ceremony as the RSUST demonstration farms is activated with the support from the United States of America.
The Acting Vice chancellor said within a shortest possible time the school has achieved alot and which in the spirit of the new RSUST where you manage the people to manage the resources. ###
Pius Dukor
