Why We Introduced Students Biometric Capturing

The Vice Chancellor (VC), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Maduebibisi Iwe has said his administration introduced biometric capturing to protect the integrity of the university’s examination and service delivery to the graduates.

Iwe who stated this while addressing the press on some of the recent successes the administration had recorded, its challenges and the way forward in his office, added that the future looks bright for the university.

“It is deployed to stop impersonation in examinations, the adventure of missing scripts of students during and after examinations and it is linked to timely examination processing and transcript release,” he noted.

He said what led to the introduction of the system was incessant direct request for statement of results, certificate and transcripts by graduates and external bodies that had made the university notorious.

According to him, “My administration decided to confront these anomalies, provide relief for students, graduates as well as parents and sponsors.”

He lamented that among those working against the system “are the academic and registry staff, who want the status quo to continue in c0rruption and making a bad name for the university”.

Explaining that the administration had resolved to solve the problem as it is dealing with others, he expressed worry that the cost of running the university had risen astronomically since last October.

He announced that a month earlier, the administration was buying 33,000 litres of diesel to power the university’s generator to provide it with light and water at about N44m apart from other expenses.

“Today,” the vice chancellor with over 22-year experience in university system continued, “the 33,000 litres is sold for N54m to N56m which we must consume within four to five weeks “

“Meanwhile, the overhead cost we receive to run the university is N9m per month, while our total expenses in a month is close to N100m,” Iwe further explained.

The VC blamed the recent riot in the university which led to its temporary shutdown on “miscreants who forced the students to join them for their selfish purpose”.

While noting that it is the desire of the administration that such an incident will not occur again, he prayed for a bright future for the university and a progressive academic environment in the country.