Professor Bernard Odoh has assumed office as the 7th vice chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State, .
He warned against acts of disloyalty and indiscipline by members of the university.
In a vote of thanks at a special Mass celebration at St Joseph’s The Worker Chaplaincy in UNIZIK, Awka, the state capital, held to bless and usher him into office, Odoh said he had produced his “social contract” with the university for the five years of his tenure as vice chancellor of the university.
While urging the university members to queue behind his administration to transform it to the desired height, Odoh pledged to lead with “humility and kindness” but would be “harsh on indiscipline”.
The vice chancellor said he was familiar with every challenge of the institution having obtained his 1st, 2nd, and 3rd degrees from the university. He said in addition to being a thorough academic, politician, and businessman, he was adequately endowed with the capacity to transform the university.
Odoh dismissed all the claims against the processes that produced him as vice chancellor of the institution and appealed to all the antagonists to sheath their swords and rally round him to grow the institution.
“My selection as vice chancellor is irreversible; the politics and contest is over. Anyone else who has interest should wait until the next five years”, he stated.
Addressing the university community later at the institution’s auditorium, Odoh said the school had not developed as it should and pledged to within four months, relocate his house to the university premises so that as a vice chancellor “if there is electricity failure, all of us will suffer it.”
He said his administration would spend N70 billion on the university in the next five years and pledged to do everything possible to achieve this.
He also pledged to light up the university with solar-powered lights and improve the university’s tarred road infrastructure.
He summarised his vision thus: “I am committed to establishing NAU among the top 50 universities in Africa while we reshape and reposition the university to contest for a position in the 500 universities in the global ranking of universities through the disruptive development model (2924-2029)—a strategic framework to boost academic quality, innovation, and global competitiveness.”
