DELSU: Ogomudia Commends Outgoing VC For Partnering With Governing Council To Achieve Enviable Heights

By Patrick Ijeh

The Pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of Delta State University, Abraka, Gen Alexander Ogomudia (Rtd) has commended the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, for partnering with the Governing Council to achieve enviable heights during his tenure.

The Pro Chancellor gave the commendation within the week during a Special Meeting of the Council in Honour of the outgoing Vice Chancellor.

Gen Ogomudia (Rtd) pointed out that the Governing Council enjoyed working with Prof Egwunyenga, who as the head of scholarship in the university, worked in perfect harmony with the Senate and other academic and administrative units of the institution to achieve remarkable improvements in the quality of education, staff and students’ welfare and motivation, infrastructural development, steady academic calendar and improved global rankings over the last five years.

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While wishing Prof Egwunyenga well in the years ahead, the Chairman of the University Governing Council charged council members and the university community in general to look forward into the future of Delta State University, Abraka, with optimism because of the culture of justice, inclusiveness and accountability that the outgoing Vice Chancellor has entrenched with his leadership style.

In another ceremony within the week to celebrate the end of tenure of Prof Egwunyenga as Vice Chancellor, the university community gathered for an exhibition of the projects executed by his administration and the public presentation of his tenure report covering December 1, 2019 to November 30, 2024. While declaring the exhibition and presentation of tenure report open, the Chairman of the occasion and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the University, Prof Ochuko Anomohanran, said the ceremony was organised to ascertain if Prof Egwunyenga merited to be called “The People’s Vice Chancellor” by placing the records of his achievements in public view for scrutiny. He challenged all in attendance at the ceremony to pay close attention to the score card of the outgoing Vice Chancellor and decide if he has done well or not.
In a welcome address, the Chairman of the Exhibition Sub-Committee of the Vice Chancellor’s End of Tenure Report Committee and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Prof Nelson Edewor, said the exhibition is apt and phenomenal as it provides evidence that Prof Egwunyenga has provided purposeful leadership with indelible visible projects through transformational, authentic and visionary leadership styles. He pointed out that the outgoing Vice Chancellor achieved a lot during his tenure in the last five years ranging from conceptualisation and execution of new projects, completion of previously abandoned ones, transformation of the physical environment on campus, actualisation of steady power supply, introduction of students’ work-study scheme and award of scholarships to indigent students among others.
In a brief introduction of the three hundred and seventeen page Tenure Report, the Chairman of the Vice Chancellor’s End of Tenure Report Committee and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration), Prof (Mrs) Rosemary Ngozi Okoh, said that Prof Egwunyenga’s administrative style engendered growth and prosperity in Delta State University, Abraka, through the building of an effective and motivated workforce; pursuit of innovation and creativity using ICT; strengthening faculties, departments and units; prioritising the welfare of students; improvement of the revenue base of the university and a new approach to university administration. Prof (Mrs) Okoh pointed out that under outgoing Vice Chancellor, Delta State University, Abraka, achieved global rankings as the best state university in the South-South and South-East regions, the 3rd best state university in Nigeria, and the 18th best among the 284 universities and research institutes in the country. She noted that within Prof Egwunyenga’s tenure as Vice Chancellor, the university expanded its academic programmes to eighty-three and thirteen faculties with full accreditation by the National Universities Commission (NUC). In recognition of the remarkable improvements in the university, a move for the establishment of a world-class oil and gas research centre at the university was initiated by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) and Seplat Energy PLC.
In his response on both occasions, the outgoing Vice Chancellor, Prof Egwunyenga, stated that whatever is recorded as his achievement in office was not a one-man show but rather the result of the support he received from the two Visitors to the University and Executive Governors of Delta State he served under, Senator Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa and Rt Hon (Elder) Sheriff Francis Orohwedor Oborevwori; the two Commissioners for Higher Education he served under, Prof Patrick Muoboghare and Prof Nyerhovwo Tonukari; the two Pro Chancellors and Chairmen of Governing Council during his tenure, Prof Sam Oyovbaire and Gen Alexander Ogomudia (Rtd); all past and present members of the University Governing Council; the Senate of the University; and all past and present principal officers who worked with him, including the incoming Vice Chancellor, Prof Sam Asagba, among others. Prof Egwunyenga equally thanked all staff, students and other stakeholders in the university for their contributions to the achievements recorded and urged them to extend same to the incoming Vice Chancellor. He pointed out that university administration should be continuous based on culture of excellence so that anybody at the helm of affairs will find it very easy to continue along that path, noting that there would be a disconnect if the cooperation he enjoyed is not passed on to his successor. He promised to keep in touch with the university community so as to make himself available whenever the need arises.
The outgoing 7th Vice Chancellor, Prof Andy Ogochukwu Egwunyenga, is scheduled to hand-over to the incoming 8th Vice Chancellor, Prof Sam Asagba, on Saturday, November 30, 2024, exactly five years after he assumed office as Vice Chancellor on December 1, 2019.