Umueje community pledges solidarity with UNIZIK
..Seeks accelerated development of the project land donated to the university
People of the Umueje community in Ayamelum LGA, Anambra State have expressed collective solidarity with the Vice-Chancellor and Nnamdi Azikiwe University in its push to advance the frontiers of knowledge, research and development.
Speaking during a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor recently, a former President General of the Community and ex-diplomat, Dr Ifeanyi Emma Odogwu told the Vice-Chancellor that in demonstration of their love for the university, the community donated 200 hectares of land to UNIZIK in 2020 to serve as an extension of the permanent site, Faculty of Agriculture located at Ifite-Ogwuari, a neighbouring community.
He noted that since then, the land has been underutilised without take-off projects till now, while some people started farming activities in the land presently, an action he said created suspicion among the community members that the land may have been misappropriated by the leaders.
Dr. Odogwu also appealed for more employment, contract works and admission slots for the members of the community revealing that few numbers of people from the community that benefitted from the previous employment had yet to receive salaries.
Responding, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ugochukwu Bond Stanley Anyaehie commended the delegation for reaching out to the university management for collaboration and for their generous donation of land to the university.
He disclosed that he had visited the Faculty of Agriculture permanent site at Ifite-Ogwuari but he was never briefed on the extension land in Umueje. He promised to look into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) documents existing between the community and the university on request, or any agreement entered into by the previous administration in the university with the possibility of harnessing better opportunities for the community and the university.
He also clarified that the farming activities on the faculty of agriculture’s permanent site in the area presently were muted as a cooperative society arrangement to kick-start activities on the land in the interim.
The Vice Chancellor hinted at the challenges of the backlog of unpaid staff which he inherited and efforts are being made to address the situation expressing enthusiasm that some of the members of the community might be among the list of those captured for payroll in the system recently.
He also disclosed to the delegation that the present renovation and beautification works ongoing with the administrative block have been made possible through the contributions of the friends of the Vice-Chancellor and not from the university treasury.
He assured the delegation of fair representation without favouritism and sectionalism which has and will always guide his decisions in managing the affairs and resources of the university.
A former President General of the community, Chief Felix Chidubem extolled the Vice Chancellor’s virtues in transparency, frankness to issues and forthrightness, reiterating that those attributes he displayed in their encounter have spurred them to give more determined cooperation and support to the university.
Other members of the delegation included the President General of the community, Hon. Onyebuchi Machi, Uche Okafor, a Deputy Registrar and PG Emeritus, Obiora Samuel-Mary (Prof), Director, Growth, Development and Management and a Catholic Priest, Rev. Fr. Ikenna Emengini.