His Vice Chancellorship
I have been on this seat as a Vice Chancellor for about one year now. But I came with a mission. And the mission I came with was to open up the Office of the Vice Chancellor to everybody. So that every individual, staff students stakeholders will contribute their quota to lift this University to higher levels. I saw myself as an instrument God will use to do my beat for the five years I’m going to be on this sit. I saw it as a privilege that God just gave to me. I saw it as God’s grace.
His journey so far
When I came, I must confess, the system was a bit down. Down because human misunderstanding about one another, no love, lack of trust, lack of everything. And I said to myself we must turn around these narratives. It will also interest you to know that those who contested against me as Vice Chancellor, many of them are occupying positions in this University. Some of them are Deans and some of them are Directors. This was not the story before. Usually, when a Vice Chancellor comes on board, those who contested with him are like enemies. Those who supported me or who didn’t support me we must work together. Because I told them it’s just interest. Probably they were interested in another person because if the person comes on board they might get this or get that, not because they hate Georgewill. So, I told them, now that I have emerged let’s merge our interests together and move the University of Port Harcourt forward.
Not only that, we have ensured that Senate of this University always meet in a very friendly atmosphere where everybody can contribute his quota and make decisions that are better for our students.
You know the students are our most critical stakeholders here. If they are not here we are not here. And so we don’t joke with our students. We do everything we can to improve on their learning environment. We try to make sure that their accommodation where they stay is okay for them to best of our ability. And in other to do that, it would interest you to note that almost every week by Saturday and Sundays we go round the Hotels. Why do we do? We found that anywhere there are complains and issues we attend to them promptly. I go round with the Director of Works, Physical Planning and there and then I tell them you must do something about this. Because I discovered that if you wait for complains to come to you and you now minute to it, it takes a long time. But we tried to go round and correct things and the students are even happier for it.
Today the President of Student union can come here and sit down with me and we talk about the students as a whole, talk about their growth and always tell him that his familiarity with me does not mean that we come and do something that would make the students be disadvantaged. Your familiarity with me should be to make me respond even quicker to issues when the students have issues. He should not be friendly with me and then we begin to oppress students. That’s not the essence of being familiar with me. And we’re doing it very well.
When we came on board we also discovered that some students find it very difficult even to pay the little N40,000 fees they pay for a year. And for two sessions since I came on board I have personally used my resources, called hundreds of students to this office and support their fees. I have N20,000 for each students I give, then, at the end of the day they would join whatever money they raised and pay the fees and things are getting better.
There are so many things we have done within this short time we have come on board. Before we came on board the University have a policy of interviewing people before they become Professor. We looked at it and we said in 21st century that is not happening in most Universities again. The first thing we did was to go to Council to tell them that if somebody has been adjudged to be good by all his Professors in his Department, in his Faculty in the University and outside, there would be no need interviewing him again. Council agreed with us and we removed that barrier to Professorial promotion. As I speak with you and since after we did that a lot of people who are qualified have had their professorship released. And it has brought a lot of joy and career satisfaction to a lot of people who have been promoted by removing some of these barriers.
And communication is key. That’s why when I came on board I started what we call “This Week in Retrospect”. In This Week in Retrospect I tell everybody in this University what happened in this University in that week. And so everybody knows what happened in this University at any time; and everybody reads about University of Port Harcourt and people are happy.
His Open Administration
Not only that, because we have decided to run a very open administration, people are doing all their best to attract things to this University. Staffs go out get what they can get they bring to the University. Everybody is saying: “what can I do that I can contribute my quota to the University of Port Harcourt”. And that’s the type of University we’re running.
We came on board at the time when there was so much malice and so much misunderstanding and rancor in the University of Port Harcourt. As I speak to you, to God be the glory, we’ve been able to tell everybody that we’re here to work with everyone.
No VC’s Men or Cabal
There are no VC’s Men, there are no VC’s Boys, there are no VC’s Cabals. This University is open to everybody. All staffs students and stakeholders are free to come for us to work together and take UNIPORT to the next level. And so far the response has been very tremendous. And we thank God for these responses.
His Recognition of staff
We have also taken time to recognize excellence in this University. No matter how little you achieved we celebrate you. And because of that staff and students are all doing their best to make sure they excel in whatever they do. Because they know that the Vice Chancellor and the Management of this University will commend them and celebrate them. So, no achievement is too small for us. We commend them celebrate them and so a lot of people are beginning to win laurels for this University in Nigeria, in Africa and in the world. And so, every day we keep celebrating our staff or students who have just won one thing here or the other.
His Humility in Leadership
I have always believed that humility can work with one another. If you are humble a lot of people can work with you. If you bring pride near you, then, people would just go away. And so I have chosen humility in leadership and it has helped this University tremendously.
UNIPORT Requests
The University requires so many things to be done. Teaching and learning, Research and Development, Community service, Gender Equality, Religious Tolerance, Communication, Digitalization of the University, Infrastructural Development, Human Capacity Development among many others. The task appeared very daunting but with God and with people like you and other stakeholders, the journey so far had been very exciting.
We’ve had individuals and agencies and other stakeholders come to support this University since we came on board. They have supported in infrastructure; they have supported in providing utility vehicles for us; they have supported in providing laboratory equipment, among others. Government agencies like TETfund and Government itself through NEEDS assessment have done quite remarkable for this University.
If I take you round this University today, in less than one year you would see infrastructural development that could make you marvel. Faculty buildings are coming up, procedural offices are coming up, lecture auditoriums are coming up, classrooms are coming up, theatres and so many other structures are coming up within one year. But I always say to God be the glory. It’s just the grace of God. It’s not because of how powerful or how connected we are but God’s grace. God has given us so much grace and favour. A lot of people are coming to do something for the University.
His Love For UNIPORT
I love Uniport and I also believe that those who work and live here also love Uniport and that’s the impression I have. Together we can work and make Uniport a better place for ourselves and for humanity.
His Award of Africa100 ChangeMakers
So you have been one of those who are now part of the success stories of this University, having recognized the modest achievements we’ve done and having come here to recognize what we’ve done, you want to spur us to more actions. We promised you that by this award we’re to even put in more of our best to ensure we serve God and humanity even better than what we have done.
And so, I want to tell you that this is one of the climax of this VCship. I regard this award; and I will tell you one thing, since I got the hint of this award, I’m sure Time Africa have been circulated by my students, by my staff by stakeholders and I am sure it is all over the world now. Once again to God be the glory and I thank you for recognizing our modest achievements. And can assure you that this will spur us to work harder than the way we have worked. And partnering with you people and stakeholders I think we can do better.
When people read they get informed. And an informed people are better people than those not informed. And I make bold to say this is just the beginning of a fruitful partnership between the University of Port Harcourt and your organization.
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