Anthony Iwuoma
The Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, AE-FUNAI, Ebonyi State, Professor Sunday Elom, has constituted a 13-member Committee.
This is coming as a response to the decision of the University Governing Council that a high-powered Committee on AE-FUNAI 10-year Development Plan, otherwise known as ‘’AE-FUNAI Vision 2031’’ should be set up by the VC.
While inaugurating the Committee yesterday, Elom noted that the Committee came in response to a directive of the Governing Council’s that he should constitute a high-level Committee to propose a ten-year development plan for the university regardless of the existing five-year Strategic Plan Committee.
The VC said the Council in its wisdom decided that the Strategic Plan Committee should be fused into a new Committee with a plan period of 10 years, to be called ‘’AE-FUNAI VISION 2031’’.
He stated that Management has selected the best people to do the work, adding that the selection of members was based on personal merit and antecedent. He also pleaded with the members to apply all the seriousness that is required to deliver on the assignment as Council is relying on them to deliver on their mandates and on time.
Elom further explained that the vision document would be launched during the forthcoming convocation ceremony of the university, noting that the President Muhammadu Buhari would be invited to the occasion, which would be organised in conjunction with the late Dr. Alex Ekwueme’s family.
Continuing, the VC urged members of the Committee to take the task seriously in order to come up with a draft document before the next meeting of the Council next month.
He also enjoined them to adhere to their terms of reference as contained in their letters of appointment.
According to the memo signed by the Registrar, the terms of reference of the Committee were to: Prepare a 10-year development plant for the University, appraise where we are now, formulate where we want to be in the next 10 years, formulate how we can get there, merge these with those of Strategic Plan Committee and make recommendations to the Management.
While speaking before the inauguration of the Committee, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Emeritus Prof. Nimi Briggs, who joined the meeting through Zoom, appreciated the Vice-Chancellor for acting speedily on the Council’s decision, noting that the Committee is to brainstorm and create ideas that will lift the University from where it is now to where it wants to be in the next ten years.
Continuing, Prof. Briggs maintained that Council views the work of the Committee seriously, and encouraged members to live up to expectation.
‘’I want to tell you that this project is very important to Council,” he said.
Responding, the chairman of the Committee, Prof. Dennis Akoh, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for constituting the Committee and assured the Management that they will not fail in the assignment, attributing his confidence on the calibre and antecedents of people in the Committee.
‘’The members are true representatives of every aspect of our university’s life and I am sure we will turn out a document that will be a true representative of the purpose the Committee was set up,” he concluded.