No fewer than 13 candidates vying for the position of the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos have been constructively engaged in a debate by erudite Professors and members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to unravel their vision for the institution.
The 13 candidates made up of one female, were present during the interactive session organized by ASUU UNIJOS branch in collaboration with the Advancement Office of the University of Jos.
The Chairperson of the Panel, Prof. S. Fwatshsk said the institution needs a Vice Chancellor who will connect it with the international community to promote research and access funding for the running of the institution.
ASUU Chairperson, University of Jos, Dr Lazarus Maigoro, admonished the contestants to be truthful to themselves and advised anyone who emerged to implement what he has promised the university community.
He noted that there is no university that can survive without ASUU and called for transparency, accountability in the management of the university.
The Vice Chancellor of the Institution, Prof. Sabastine Maimako, who was represented by Prof. John Adeiyongo, described the interactive session with VC candidates as apt, saying knowing the blueprint of who will be the next VC is very imperative in the growth and development of the university.
He noted that the university needs a VC who will connect the institution with International community with the aim of attracting grants for better funding.
Prof. Maimako added that the university need physical and academic development in terms of infrastructure and research development which the new VC should be able to build on.
The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Bauchi Zone, Prof. Lawan Abubakar has called on university administration to join hands with ASUU to stop the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) introduced by Federal Government.
He noted that IPPIS has brought untold hardship on the university system where personnel cost, overheads and infrastructural development of the Institutions is neglected by government.
“The introduction of IPPIS in public Universities, the instructions do not find it easy at all because the lawful duties of the University Governing Councils have been rubbish so also the university administration.
“Universities used to have three cost, Personnel, overheads and capital, government use to release this fund to the universities and the instructions strategically plan how to spend this money but the situation now, they started by taking away the personnel cost and so University administrators must join hands with ASUU to take away IPPIS.”
He explained that ASUU and University administration have always worked as partners in progress with Vice Chancellors and that any Vice Chancellor that confronts ASUU negatively has something to hide.
“Many Vice Chancellors have realized that without ASUU, things would have been extremely very hard. Many ASUU members have lost their lives in the struggle to keep the university system alive and some have been without salaries for more than 10 months.” (Sun)