The new Vice Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University (AE-FUNAI), Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State, Professor Daniel Nwachukwu, has pledged to engage in dialogue with the host community regarding their continued presence on the University’s premises.

Prof. Nwachukwu stated this in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, shortly after receiving his appointment letter as the 4th Vice Chancellor of the University from Dr Anthony Nebo, the Chairman of the Governing Council and Pro-Chancellor of the institution.

Nwachukwu maintained that a university and a village should not coexist at the same location.

“We need to discuss and dialogue with the host community towards making sure we do the needful. A university should be a university, not a combination of a university and a village in one place. I wasn’t pleased when I saw it. It is a problem, and we need to solve that problem,” he said.

The Vice Chancellor disclosed that his other primary focus during his tenure would be infrastructure, staff and student welfare, as well as an increase in the student population, among other priorities, expressing concern over the current low student enrollment.

“My primary focus will be infrastructural development. We need to make the university visible. The university needs serious infrastructural development, and we are going to make it a priority. Again, I observed that the student population is very small, and it’s challenging to have students without adequate infrastructure.

“We also need money to run the institution, and we are going to diversify our Internally Generated Revenue. We are going to initiate several ways of generating money to run the institution.

“We are also going to partner with the private sector to assist us in building infrastructure that we will be desperately needing within the University,” the VC assured.

Nwachukwu emphasised the importance of maintaining a cordial working relationship with the Governing Council and management to ensure optimal productivity, adding that his mission is to leave the institution in a better state than he met it.

Dr Nebo said eight candidates were screened for the position, but during the interview, seven of them presented themselves, among them Prof. Nwachukwu, who was selected as the 4th Vice Chancellor of the institution.

He urged the new Vice Chancellor to work closely with all staff to ensure the transformation of the institution and assured him of the full cooperation of the Governing Council.

The Provost of the Medical College of the University, Prof. Olisaemeka Ezeonu, charged the new vice chancellor to avoid one-sided stories to avoid distraction.

Ezeonu expressed the confidence that the university will excel further under the new vice chancellor. (Leadership)