Stakeholders in Rivers State have called for the removal of Prof. Barineme Fakae, the Vice Chancellor of the State’s premier University of Science and Technology, Nkpolu Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt.
This became necessary to rid off the brewing crisis that rocked the institution and get an experienced professor that would pilot the affairs of the university effectively.
It would be recalled that Hon. Chidi Julus Lloyd, a lawmaker representing Emohua constituency and the leader of the state House of Assembly had moved a motion in the floor of the House, praying that the post graduate school of the River State University of Science and Technology be investigated due to the inability of the institution to graduate post graduate school students for three years and non admission of fresh students into the institution for two years which caused crisis in the institution.
The state Assembly in order to solve the problem set up a public hearing headed by the committee on education of the stakeholders of Assembly.
Speaking at the public hearing at the auditorium hall of the Rivers State House of Assembly, a former Dean of the post graduate school, Prof. Alex Monsi, noted that the principal cause of the crises was poor management and leadership struggle.
He said the present administration lead by Prof. Fakae has failed woefully on crucial issues.
According to him, Prof. Fakae does not consult anyone on crucial matters, he does not seek advice from anybody, he discriminates and does things the way he feels
He added that the only thing that would solve the problem was to sack the Fakae led administration and replace it with another.
In his presentation, Prof. Godwin Tasie, the former chairman of the 9th governing council of the university, decried the poor leadership management in the institution and called for an independent visitation panel to ascertain the true position of things.
He also called on the House Committee on Education of the state Assembly to ensure that the November December, 2007report on UST was published to the public.
Also in his submission, Prof. Victor Umuaro, the former vice chancellor of the state university who handed over to Prof. Fakae, attributed the crises to the collapse of the committee system which he said was very crucial in the university administration and condemned the erosion of the power of the university senate.
In his speech, Prof. Nweke of the Agric department in the institution who recalled his write up in Verite Newspaper “UST is collapsing, post graduate static and moribund”, noted that since the inception of professor Fakae’s administration there was no cordial relationship between him and the ASSU.
He noted that Prof. Fakae has ran down most of the professors by terminating their appointments without reason, describing him as a professor who was imposed on the institution by governor Amaechi.
Prof. Nweke stressed that the only thing to solve the crises in the institution was to sack him and replace him with an experienced professor who would handle the affairs of the institution effectively.
The chairman the Academic Staff Union of Universities, UST Chapter, Dr. Felix Igwe, on his part noted that there were some irregularities in the institution which have affected the smooth academic exercise.
Dr. Igwe who listed some of the major problems facing he institution such as lack of consultation on the part of the management, use of consultants rather than examination and records department to produce students’ results, lack of due process in the appointment of the vice Chancellor of the institution, contract awards and retirement of Professors and other senior academic staff and lack of functional Post Graduate School, called for the change of leadership.
Speaking at the public hearing, Prof. B. B. Fakae, the embattled Vice Chancellor of the institution, enumerated some of his achievements in the university which were not there before his appointment in 2008 and improvement in the institution, faulted the submission of those who criticized him.
In his speech Hon. Augustine Ngo a lawmaker representing Abua/Odua and the chairman education committee in the Rivers State House of Assembly who chaired the ceremony, thanked the participants for their contributions, noting that the committee on education will still invite those who are interested to speak on the issue, to move the school forward through memorandum, to have a holistic approach in solving the problems of the institution once and for all, as well as investigate the institution. ###
Emeka Jilly Ejiowhor
