The vice chancellor of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja), Professor Abdulrasheed Na-Allah has promised to transform the university into a higher academic institution befitting the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) during his tenure in office.
Na-Allah listed several programmes for this year and subsequent periods to improve academic and administrative performance of staff and students and called for cooperation to enable the plans work out well for the university.
The school administrator spoke during the 24th convocation of the university held at the convocation ground located at the main campus of the university, along Airport road in Abuja.
He observed that the administration and academic performance of the university had been afflicted by “unsavory challenges that made smooth and seamless operations difficult in the system.”
The VC listed some of the challenges of the university to include poor work ethics and general indiscipline bordering on academic and other social malfeasance.
He condemned late reporting to work and early closure from office by workers, especially academic staff; admission racketeering; poor attendance to lectures by both lecturers and students; uncoordinated administration and management practices; falsification of academic records to gain unmerited promotions; examination misconduct; cultism and sexual harassment among staff and students.
The vice chancellor vowed to tackle the challenges head-on without fear or favour because “the ugly state of affairs have not only stifled the rapid growth and development of the institution, but it has placed the university always in the national public domain for the wrong reasons.”
He said the new administration decided to chart a new roadmap anchored on renewed confidence, dedication and commitment to duty and the involvement of everyone in the system towards the realisation of the dream to move the institution to world class level.
A breakdown of the graduating students showed that there were first degrees, postgraduate diploma, master’s and doctorate degree recipients but the high point of the convocation was the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on three distinguished personalities.
The recipients are the Prime Minister of Ethiopia and 2019 Nobel Prize winner, Abiy Ahmed Ali. Ali received the University of Abuja honorary Doctor of Law (Honoris Causa), Major-General Alwali Jauli Kazir (rtd), former Chief of Army Staff and one-time governor of Kwara state, received the honorary Doctor of Political Science.
The last recipient was Mallam Ibrahim Buhari Tubali, the famous Hausa royal court musician and oral singer of the 19th Century who was honoured with a posthumous honorary Doctor of Literature.
More than 10 338 students of the UniAbuja have joined the saturated unemployment market after successfully completing their various courses at the university.
