Gear Up For Ethical, Innovative Learning, Ujam Tells UNN Senate

The acting Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof. Oguejiofo T. Ujam, has urged members of the university’s Senate to gear up for ethical reorientation, creative and innovative learning culture in the institution.

  He said for the university to witness “three consecutive acting Vice Chancellors within a year and I feel that it does not require rocket science to note that the institution has greatly retreated from its leading position as Nigeria’s premier university.”

   Ujam, who made the remarks while presenting his first address to the University’s Senate, said: “From recent happenings in a neighbouring tertiary institution, it is obvious that declining morals is not limited to the University of Nigeria alone.

    “But, the challenging situation poses for us a dire urgency to demonstrate the original leadership, which the founding fathers of the institution purposed UNN to serve. This charge therefore comes as a collective demand on our individual contributions and responsibility to reposition the institution on a steady course to ethical and innovative learning.”

   He informed the Senate members that his appointment, which is for a six-month period is expected to prepare the ground for the emergence of a substantive Vice Chancellor for the University.

    He expressed the hope that the Senate will work with him to “deliver on this expansive but limited mandate,” noting that “if we bury the negative passions of individualism, which undergirds the politics of who gets what, we will shun cleavages that undermine collective action.”

  The acting VC informed the Senate that he plans to set up a Scholarship Office to encourage excellence in special and adaptive studies that Afrocentric and forward looking.

  He stated: “As part of the grand vision vision to place UNN as a global player in the forward-looking tertiary education system, I plan to establish a University of Nigeria Scholarship Office.

   “This office will oversee the award of scholarship to deserving undergraduates and postgraduate from West Africa, Africa, Europe Asia and the Pacific for African Studies and perspectives in the emerging new technologies and sustainability programmes.

   “The scholarship will also be available for Nigerians to reflect its multi-ethnic background. UNN must be on top and be seen to provide leadership in new thinking and development.

   “UNN should not be found wanting in the current technological contest defined by the rivalry between Open Artificial Intelligence and DeepSeek. Good a thing, Dr. Peter Mbah, who is the governor of Enugu State that hosts UNN has been advocating the transition to experiential learning.

   “We hope to return UNN to its legendary status as a laboratory for human inquiry and inventions. Research and innovation should have a pride of place in what we plan to do within the next six months. Contemporaneously, staff welfare, reward and recognition of talent will also be looked into with a view to situating an appropriate incentive scheme to raise productivity.”

   Ujam commended the Governing Council of the University, pointing out that institution is blessed to have Engineer Kayode Olubunmi Ojo as chairman of council, adding that at last the institution has a level-headed and focused Governing Council.

   “Under the watch of Engineer Ojo as Chairman of Council, I am confident that the Senate will enjoy a robust leadership that caters for staff welfare, imaginative infrastructure development and innovative planning.

   “My confidence is buoyed by the fact of the chairman’s antecedents and where he is coming from. His background as a professional Engineer, astute politician makes it a given that his wealth of experience, garnered from both internally and internationally, will be brought to bear on the oversight of this legendary sanctuary of learning,” the Ujam declared.

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