SETTING AGENDA
FOR THE INCOMING FUTO VC, PROF F.C. EZE
The
prestigious Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) situated in Imo
State, Nigeria was reportedly agog on Thursday March 17, 2016. The reason was
the expected enthronement of a ‘saint’ as the seventh substantive
Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the ancient citadel of higher learning in the person of
Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Eze. It was argued that the said academic didn’t
just deserve the honour, but was hyper qualified for the position. All of these
triggered this write-up.
The last time I painstakingly
checked, Prof F.C. Eze, the Imo-born eloquent and astute academic remained the
next substantive VC of the aforementioned university. This obvious fact was informed
by the pronouncement made on Thursday March 17, 2016 by the governing council
of the institution ably led by Dr Emmanuel Enemuo, stating that the academic in
question was the winner of the election that was conducted among all the
academics that were vying for the highly respected seat.
Let me quickly intimate us that there’s a rigorous outstanding
proceeding comprising different phases toward the election of a university’s
Vice-Chancellor. This proceeding ranges from various screening exercises to
aptitude tests and the election proper which may last for several months. Along
the line, most of the aspirants made up of well celebrated professors would be
dropped or shown the way out prior to the election phase which invariably marks
the last phase of the uncompromising ritual. This, no doubt, implies that Prof
Eze just successfully returned from an inevitable holistic academic odyssey
having been declared the overall winner of that rigorous exercise.
It’s noteworthy that Prof Eze’s emergence as the FUTO VC is long overdue
owing to how much he had longed to sit on that hot seat. It would be recalled
that the incoming VC was one of the top aspirants for the said position in
2011, in which the outgoing VC Prof C.C Asiabaka emerged victorious. In spite
of the fathomless challenges trailing suchlike ambition, he remained resolute
and resilient till this moment when fortune thought it wise to smile at his
person.
Prof Eze, a native of Ideato-South LGA of Imo State, who is a Professor
of Experimental Solid State Physics and Material Science had his first,
Master’s and doctorate degrees from the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN),
University of Dundee – Scotland, and also UNN, respectively. After his Bachelor
of Science, he worked as a banker before proceeding to his subsequent academic
pursuits. Immediately after his PhD, he became a teacher in FUTO. As a veteran
academic, he has authored and co-authored numerous academic journals, text
books and articles among other innumerable publications in Industrial Physics.
He is a two-time Head of the Department (HOD) of Physics, FUTO. In 2008
when he was serving for the second time in the aforesaid capacity, as a result
of his exemplary prowess, he doubled as the Dean of the School of Sciences
(SOSC) which was recently split into two separate autonomous faculties namely –
School of Physical Sciences (SOPS) and School of Biological Sciences (SOBS) by
the university’s Senate. Then, he concurrently served as HOD and Dean until
someone succeeded him in the former.
Thereafter, he was recognized as the Director of the Nuclear Energy and
Research Centre of the university; a position, in which he relentlessly and
doggedly showcased the best in him to the envy of his colleagues, both far and
near. Consequently, in 2013, he was expectedly appointed as the Deputy
Vice-Chancellor on Administration under the able leadership of the outing VC
Prof Chigozie C. Asiabaka; a post which he holds till date.
As an indisputable scholar and intellect-driven experimental physicist,
in addition to the Fellowship he presently enjoys in countless reputable local
and international professional societies, he is a Fellow to the famous Nigerian
Institute of Physics (NIP). He’s a Christian to the core to the glory of God;
as a well grounded practising Catholic, he was inducted into the Knighthood of
Saint John International (KSJI) many years ago. By His grace, he’s currently
happily married with four children.
He’s a passion-driven, strict and very serious-minded individual. In
2008 when FUTO hosted the NIP conference, I was privileged to be among the
Local Organizing Committee (LOC) and that was when he was serving as the HOD of
Physics Department for the second time. Aside his zealous and brilliant nature,
then I realized he’s not just humble, but down to earth despite his gigantic
posture. And, that very conference became nothing but extremely a success
because he was at the helm of affairs.
He understands the essence of open-door administration, and also grants
anyone a listening ear regardless of the circumstance. This singular attribute
alone makes hundreds of thousands of people attracted to him. As an experienced
teacher and administrator, he acknowledges when to mix lecture or
administration, as the case may be, with humour. His sense of humour can keep
one’s brain busy for a whole day. Even when one’s medulla oblongata seems
incapacitated or dull, he knows how to reactivate it.
To this end, as this elegant gentleman and seasoned academic is well
determined and prepared to take on the mantle of FUTO Senate’s leadership
supposedly on 19th of June 2016, all and sundry, particularly
myself, is very optimistic that he would unarguably take the distinguished
university not just to enviable heights but to the long-awaited promised land.
In view of this assertion, everyone who truly believes in competence and
trustworthiness is seriously yearning to embrace the awaited epoch-making event
that’s expected to usher in a new era.
The young and ever vibrant professor who’s
truly ready to assume duty as the 7th substantive Vice-Chancellor of FUTO
needn’t to be told that henceforth, everyone who really thinks good of the
institution looks up to him. Needless to say that he’s bound to strive
unrelentingly towards bringing out the best in him the moment he mounts the
throne. His predecessors have indeed done their best, but he can do better.
FUTO, as a widely recognized institution of higher learning, has surely
improved tremendously in recent times, but it’s worthy to note that many
establishments on the campus are yearning for urgent uplift or resuscitation,
as the case may be, while many other lacking sectors urgently need to be
inculcated into the system. For instance; today, by the effort of the outgoing
VC, FUTO enjoys the services of a Centre for Entrepreneurial Studies; the
incoming VC is expected to look inwards toward introducing other worthwhile
vocational studies to the remarkable centre, especially at this moment the
country is deeply in need of citizens with proficiency in various skills
towards actualizing a society filled with self-reliant individuals.
Also by the effort of the outgoing VC, currently FUTO is reckoned to be
the first university in Nigeria to develop a Research and Technological Park
(RTP). The paramount essence of the unit is to enable the commercialization of
patents and researches of the university. Suchlike section, which would no
doubt help to create a society where science and technology is immensely
adored, needs to be harnessed by the incoming leadership of the university
without much ado.
Inter alia, I’m equally appealing to Prof Eze’s yet unborn leadership to
endeavour to create as well as sustain a cordial and undiluted relationship
with the university’s entire Alumni body. This set of people, which I’m
inclusive, involves in a lot of commendable activities that directly affect the
day-to-day developmental strides of the university positively. Verily, the awaited
VC is required to do everything humanly possible towards ensuring that the
university is placed ahead of others not just within Nigeria but beyond.
Now that we have all met this
quintessential don and erudite scholar - Professor Francis C. Eze that’s loaded
with enormous rare ingenuity, it would be very nice for us to, individually or
collectively, extend our unalloyed congratulatory felicitations to his noble
desk because undoubtedly he’s the man of the moment. Unarguably, he whom the
cap fits, let him wear it. Think about it!
Comr Fred Doc
Nwaozor
Twitter: @mediambassador 
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