By Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD
Gossip must die is the new mantra now in Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. This began slowly but gradually gaining momentum after the new Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU Chairperson, Prof Kingsley Ubaoji proclaimed it’s one of his missions in office.
Prof Ubaoji is pained that some people out of envy for the progresses of their colleagues, often gang up and spread dangerous image lowering
rumours against a rising star, just to dim his or her chances over a position of contest or authority. He now wants whoever that is saying anything to be the source or shut up. This willl help identify the person spreading the gospel and relay it proportionally, quoting the source.
It’s no longer they said without a name or source, but now if you say they said without naming who told you and how he or she told you at what event and where ,then you appear before ASUU committee if not the entire ASUU to explain how the news came by or be disciplined by ASUU. Just that naming and shaming including a press statement disowing the culprit by ASUU is enough trauma.
What shall be the name of this committee of ASUU? Who shall be the convener? Who shall be their members? What shall be their terms of Reference? Let me advise whoever that shall be part of this committee that it’s dicey but important because correcting people who are all knowing is herculean. For me, facts are sacred ,opinion is free, hence I name people in my piece always.
Let me leave it at that and return next week. The alarm by Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association, NECA, that divestments are increasing is worrisome because if it’s attendant capital flights, and business closures in Nigeria. Businesses are weighed down by thoughtless, ill timed or anti-growth policies as well as heavy taxation.
As I write, several organizations including GlaxoSmithKline and Azman Airlines have winded up operations in Nigeria. Our currency is stressed. Our economy is stressed. Workers are becoming overwhelmed and families are facing crisis daily.
I was thinking of 7 and half months owed ASUU members and other university workers. Aside that some workers in the university have worked for 3 years without pay , be them academic or non academic. But, Federal government shared N180 Billion to 36 states as palliative fund. That was meant to ease suffering and hardship cause by fuel subsidy removal. The fund will be paid back to CBN within 20 months.
Before this fund release, FG had got approval for supplementary budget of N819 Billion from the National Assembly for that and another $800 Million facility approval from World Bank. Remember N500 Billion was earmarked for palliatives out of the supplementary budget. This is for 12 million households. Is it sustainable? Won’t it go down the drain? Is the N5Billion per state adequate? Why would palliative be stored in a private warehouse since 2022 in Bayelsa state? Hungry residents informed us about it by their invasion. Imagine that these were donations from spirited individuals for 2022 flood disaster? And the stuff were already expired.
The soaring inflation stands at 24.08 percent . This is the highest in 18 years. Food inflation is higher . Fuel sells over N600. Are these palliatives well thought out or shambolic? Are the activities realistic, sustainable and transparent? We witnessed COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 and the National Social Investment Programme NSIP of Buhari government and it could be best be described as shambolic.
With steady power supply, reduced fuel pump prices, and ease of doing business , Nigerians can survive. But with frustrations in all sectors of the economy, people are becoming unnecessarily angry over little things.
Even, a pensioner in ABS Awka nearly caused me heartache,but thank God for humility. I had patience. She told me they haven’t recieved 10 months after, their share of Christmas rice from Governor Soludo which was N15,000 largess. I enquired but it was not the fault of soludo but those who submitted staff list from ABS They didn’t include pensioners. The Managing Director, Chief Chido Obidiegwu must hear this. It’s about over N3million. Commisioner for Information and Public Enlightenment Anambra State, Hon Paul Nwosu already have the news but has he presented to Governor Soludo?
I was just idle at ASUU Secretariat Complex after their Emergency congress. I wanted to write about Bishop Crowther Seminary, Awka led by Venerable Dr Nnamdi Bennett Emendu or who becomes the next Vice-Chancellor of Unizik before someone disrupted my thinking cap line. She said a Prof has been snubbing her for nothing even when they suopoised to be friends before her joining academics. I just asked her three questions and restored her confidence and swag.
First, before knowing the Prof as a Post Graduate student, were you known before coming to Unizik? Not at all! Has the Prof paid your house rent or done anything unique for you either during the stress months or at anytime? The answer was in the negative! And finally, on your death bed , would you die with the Prof? Another No!. Then, live your life. If you greet and get no answer. Move on and be happy, trusting God who knows in secret and open. Prof is big if your greetings and genuflections are or were reciprocated.
Suprised ! She said thank you and God bless you. I saw hopelessness disappear and hope restored. Just dey your dey! Maintain your lane!
For the Mass Communication staffers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, they are happy and celebrating. Anyone not celebrating whether the feats attained by members of the department concerns the person or not is to be seen as a sadist?
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka celebrated some 19 students of Continuous Education Programme, CEP during it’s Alumni Homecoming and Award Presentation Ceremony. One of their own Dr Nneka Onoh from Nise community got two honours.
The two honours came in form of 2 certificates, one, as the overall 1999/2000 set best graduating student with 1st class. Two, as the only 1st class graduate so far recorded in the faculty since the inception of Continous Education Programme (CEP). Dr Onoh now teaches Mass Communication in the same University. She shall soo n climb because the husband Prof Mathew Onoh is already on top. I call Dr Onoh, digital grandma. It’s not for nothing.
Aside her, Prof Kate Azuka Omenugha returned home with a trophy from Abuja, wining on a good scale the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations , NIPR member of Governing Council. She has been celebrated now and then and we shall keep on celebrating her. She is so many things rolled into one but let me stop at this for now.. Our son too, his son and my boy, though bigger now , Dr Nelson Omenugha, SPAD to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo also is climbing fast. He isn’t subject of my piece today. Even, Dr Obiorah Ignatius
Edogor has won big. He is currently an Ambassador of sorts for Unizik and deals with UNICEF and government agencies to the admiration of Vice-Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University ,Awka Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone FAS. We are waiting for the opportune time to announce him specially. Mass Communication department is doing Unizik proud. Excluding little backbites here and there plus unnecessary hiccups , the department would have been a model and reference. At that, the department still beats others in relationships brouhaha even if it’s pyrrhic.
But it appears the Head of Department, HOD, of Accountancy Department took the shine from many others during the May 31st senate meeting.
I was invited for something else around there and overheard those who attended the meeting saying what the VC charged them after praising Dr Chitom. Prof Esimone asked them to excalate such feats by Dr Chitom in their various departments. What was that Dr Chitom John-Akamelu did in Accountancy department as HoD, even when she was not given a chance to be a HoD?
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof Charles Okechukwu Esimone, in his Vice-Chancellor’s address to the Senate, praised Dr.Chitom John- Akamelu, the HOD Accountancy for her numerous achievements in the department especially in her being able to successfully organize the First-ever Alumni converge of the department and attracted huge sums of money from the event, and was able to put the attracted sum in a judicious use. For example, now Accountancy department is the first department in the whole Unizik to acquire the highest definition of 70-inch Triumph Smart Board, refurbished, equipped and re-named Accountancy Management Information System(MIS) lab, in honour of the doyen of Nigerian Accountancy, as Revd Can. Prof B.C. Osisioma MIS Lab.
She also attracted endowment grant fund for the best graduated student of the department for period of 5 years spread.
VC urged other Head of the departments in the University to emulate the good gesture of Dr.Chitom John-Akamelu.
Are there other things she did in the department that warranted the VC’s commendation? Unfortunately, the department is owing me , Odogwu hundreds of thousands of Naira when I was a boy, during the time of now Prof Ngozi Ijeoma. She was a Dr then in 2015. Prof Ijeoma is saying leadership is a continuum ,that those after her should pay me but nobody has taken it up even when erudite and Church minded, Prof Emma Okoye intervened ,appealed and prayed for the department to pay me.
Investigations by Cornucopia revealed that since Chitom’s ascendancy as HoD Accountancy, it’s been success story to success story.
Between 7th – 14th Feb. 2022, the Department graduated 58 PG Students as follows: 17 PhDs, 31 M.Scs. and 10 PGDs.In July 2023, the Department graduated 50 PG students at the College of Post Graduate Studies. The spread of the students were as follows:PhDs, 34 M.Scs and 6 PGDs. She organized first-ever Career Workshop and invited external resource persons for graduating students of the 2020/2021 academic session. She also initiated the first-ever and functional Department of Accountancy Staff Welfare Scheme. She hosted Journal of Global Accounting (JOGA) on the web and indexed it with Google Scholar.She selected, coordinated, edited and produced E-proceeding of the 2021 Accountancy International Conference. And wiithin a short time in office as the 11th HOD of the Department of Accountancy, she attracted an endowment Award from 1996 Alumni set of the department. The award is as follows: Best overall graduate — N50,000, Best graduate in Management Accounting — N25,000, Best graduate in Financial Accounting — N25,000, Best graduate in Forensic Accounting — N25,000. She went ahead to propose Proficiency Certificate Programme in Accountancy, even as the proposed Department of Taxation has been forwarded to the University Curriculum Committee for their approval. She successfully hosted Department of Accountancy Alumni Converge and special recognition of Revd. Can. Prof. B. C. Osisioma on 10th Feb. 2023. The proceed from the event were used in refurbishing the Management Information System (MIS) lab and renamed after Prof B. C. Osisioma as “Revd Can. Prof B.C. Osisioma Management Information System Resource Center”.
The Department of Accountancy was the first Department in Unizik that bought the Highest-Definition Electronic Smart Board at the cost of N5,000,000 (Five Million Naira). The money used to purchase this smart board was the proceed of the Alumni converge of 10th Feb. 2023. The HOD attracted another endowment fund/grant of #500,000 from Dr.Ikem Joe Odumodu, for the best-graduating students for the period of 5 years spread at #100, 000 per year. On 5th April 2023. Six (6) M.Sc students successfully defended their Masters’s Thesis on 7th April 2023. The Nigerian Universities Accounting Students Association (NUASA) Unizik Chapter hosted a one-day Conference/Seminar on the Theme: “Financial Literacy and Empowerment: A Critical Factor in Wealth Creation” at the University Auditorium. On 18th May 2023, the Department successfully hosted a one-day Workshop/Symposium for their graduating students of 2021/2022 set. The aim was to give them insight /direction on the right path to follow as graduates of Accountancy.
Chitom John-Akamelu also faced some challenging situations too like lack of funds for running the affairs of the Department, insufficient offices and office furniture for the academic staff, inverter/highest UPS for the Smart board, Functional webcam/decoder camera for the smart board among others but she continued to forge on. Will she think of paying me the debt the department is owing me with all these resources and goodwill? It was then N250,000 debt, but with inflation and bad economy, who knows how much they shall pat me on the back with.
Dr Chitom John-Akamelu, Head of Department of Accountancy, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka stand and take a bow…….
Cornucopia is a weekly column of Comrade Odogwu Emeka Odogwu, PhD.
Odogwu is a known Journalist, Editor, Media Consultant, Social Analyst, Teacher, Motivator, Unionist, Community leader, social analyst and Famous Blogger, as well as Social Media Entrepreneur, Publisher and Conversationalist @ www.odogwublog.com among others.
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Email: odogwuchampionawka@yahoo.co.uk
