Setting Agenda for the Incoming FUTO VC

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 19^th 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   

 

As Prof Eze Emerges the New FUTO VC

AS PROF EZE EMERGES THE NEW FUTO VC

    

  

    The last time I thoroughly checked, Professor Francis Chukwuemeka Eze, the Imo-born eloquent and astute academic remained the next substantive Vice-Chancellor (VC) of the prestigious Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO), Imo State, Nigeria. This obvious fact was occasioned by the pronouncement made on Thursday March 17, 2016 by the governing body of the university 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.

    FUTO was reportedly agog on the aforementioned date because, according to the jubilant persons, they were unanimously expecting the enthronement of a ‘saint’ as the seventh substantive VC of the ancient citadel of higher learning in the person of Prof F.C. Eze. They went further to state that the said academic didn’t just deserve the honour, but was hyper qualified. This very reaction happened to be one of the factors that triggered my pensive pen.

     Let me quickly intimate us that there is 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 has been longing 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 degree, Master’s and doctorate programmes in the Universities of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), 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.

     It would interest you to acknowledge that Prof F.C. Eze is my teacher. He thought me way back in the university during my first degree, and I happened to have a personal relationship with him. He’s a man who believes in hard work, thus never joked with serious-minded students. He taught me Analytical Mechanics during the Harmattan semester of my third year (300 Level); and I can’t forget in a hurry the bonus mark he granted to me when I answered a question he raised, which none of my classmates was able to, during one of his classes.

     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 and that was when he was serving as the HOD of Physics Department for the second time. During the said era, the mentorship I enjoyed from his person was tremendous. Aside his zealous and brilliant nature, that was when I realized that 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 gives anyone a listening ear irrespective 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.

    As this fine gentleman is ready to assume duty as the 7^th substantive VC of FUTO come June 2016, everyone who really believes in competence and trustworthiness is seriously yearning to embrace the awaited epoch-making event that’s expected to usher in a new era.

    So, at this juncture I wholeheartedly say: congratulations, my able Prof. Meanwhile, you needn’t to be reminded that in two months time by His grace, FUTO would seemingly be in your hands, thus you’re required to do everything humanly possible towards ensuring that the university is placed ahead of others not just within Nigeria but beyond. Think about it!

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Twitter: @mediambassador 

         

    

Buhari, Beware of Blarney!

BUHARI, BEWARE OF BLARNEY!

     In the famous and widely sold William Shakespeare’s play titled ‘Julius Caesar’, which was named after one of the protagonists in the play, it was the Roman dictator King Julius Caesar who disappointedly exclaimed in Latin “Et tu, Brute?”, meaning literally ‘Even you, Brutus?’ or ‘You too, Brutus?’ the moment he discovered that one of those whom wanted him dead happened to be his protégé and trusted ally in the person of Marcus Brutus.

    The last time I holistically checked, the reign of several well celebrated leaders in the past was truncated owing to the invariable insincere gestures or eulogies showcased by most of those they recognized as their friends or brothers, as the case may be. This is why any leader who actually intends to excel must be extremely conscious of such societal lifestyle commonly known as sycophancy which I invariably addressed as a monster.

     In any leadership setting or in life generally, there are factors that tend to be symbiotic. Among them are tyranny and sycophancy which pervade every level of governance. The combination of the two aforementioned phenomena, which are dangerous to both institutions and countries, makes any leader blind to even conspicuous pitfalls thereby making them seem miserable if they eventually fell.

     There are two major classes of sycophants, namely: genuine sycophants and mercenary or fake sycophants. The former have inexhaustible capacity to be ‘happy slaves’ and to demean themselves in favour of the master. Somehow, suchlike individuals or followers are at best Spartan-like in the sense that they do not feel the pain inflicted on them and liable to be dehumanized both morally and mentally.

     Instead, they feel the pain for the master, claiming that they are the master’s ‘shock absorber’, and usually struggle to take pleasure at the suffering of those who incur the wrath of the tyrant. In most occasions, they are likely to be more unfriendly and cruel than the master. This set of sycophants would always make effort to defend the interest of the boss regardless of the situation at hand.

     On the contrary, the mercenary ones are dangerous to the tyrant unknowingly to him (the leader), and they often play a very vital role in the day-to-day running of the affected administration. They equally possess the ability to play the ‘happy slaves’ role successfully, appear to demean themselves, pretend not to possess minds of their own, and unabatedly wear a happy physiognomy façade while sulking internally.

     A fake sycophant is no doubt skilful in warming his/her way into the bosom of the boss by studying closely the weaknesses of the system and that of the master. Such an individual or so-called ally has no scruples; rather, he/she is Machiavellian. He definitely knows how to acquire access to power by ingratiating himself with the leader via grant of an assortment of briberies or gratification to the right people, flatteries, organized accusations against well-meaning followers or citizens as well as unconditional shedding of crocodile tears.

     Furthermore, a mercenary sycophant is relentlessly very intelligent and clever in playing victim and shifting blames. He/she is so skilled in manufacturing cum painting of misleading services that the leader is bamboozled by his/her supposed ‘loyalty’. Such follower capitalizes any opportunity to betray the trust and overthrow the leader. In other words, as such follower carries out or discharges his duties on a daily basis, he looks forward to discovering or creating a loophole that would serve as an advantage to his sinister motive.

     The paramount challenge to any leader who wishes to have sycophants is to distinguish between genuine and fake ones. However, the bone of contention remains that harbouring sycophants is even more detrimental to the leader in question than to the teeming followers, irrespective of the circumstance. Hence, there’s no gain reiterating that any sycophant, if discovered, deserves to be discarded without much ado because they are all useless.

     In most occasions, you would notice that these sycophants are allies who usually appear to be extremely hardworking and creative, but realistically they are doing virtually nothing. They often use noisemaking or exaggeration to create awareness thereby luring unsuspecting followers into their net.    

     It’s noteworthy that sycophancy or undue praise-singing, which is arguably the willing undertaker of any country’s socio-political lost glory, seem to be taking an institutional presence or recognition in Nigeria at large, particularly on the country’s political platform. Isn’t it preposterous to see able-bodied citizens, even the old, singing and dancing in praise of somebody who has only succeeded in impoverishing his followers in the name of ‘leadership’ or consorting people’s aspirations to chisel his/her self aggrandizement?

     In Nigeria today, such manner of nauseous lifestyle takes place with an embarrassing frequency, yet nobody ostensibly cares to even acknowledge the colossal menace let alone discussing it. Funnily enough, most leaders have the impetus to gloat about the unsavoury and inglorious idiosyncrasy, even in a public sphere.

     This endemic wave of sycophancy sweeping across the lengths and breadth of our political space with uncontrollable rage of inferno, prosecuting our god-sent democracy and fuelling several political movements, unarguably needs to be thoroughly considered as well as checkmated by any leader that bears ‘decency and transparency’ as his watchwords. It’s needless to state that, such way of life requires to be holistically thrown to the waste-bin, which is its rightful place, for eternity.   

     Intriguingly, only but a few had openly condemned this monster that’s gradually, but steadily getting engraved in the psyche of most Nigerians, probably consciously or otherwise, while trading their sense of honour, candour and integrity on the platform of actualizing egotist gains. We must note that, on the average, it’s sycophancy that breeds despotism in any democracy; this is why any leader who truly thinks good of the society or country he leads mustn’t in any way pamper its practice that’s flourishing unabatedly not just in Nigeria but across the globe.

    The most worrisome, and perhaps amusing aspect of it is a situation where you would notice that those who never wanted Mohammadu Buhari to become the President of Nigeria are currently the prime ‘supporters’ of the present administration. How would you reconcile this? Of course, since their man had been defeated, they decided to take a U-turn to the other side of the road just to quench their selfish urge. Unequivocally, President Buhari needs to distance himself from this set of people who actually mean no good for his administration.

     Similarly, on the part of the electorate; if we’re sincerely yearning for a positive change, then we must, individually or collectively, say no to all these partisan activities occurring daily across the federation. The youth that are widely reckoned to be the ‘leaders of tomorrow’ must steer clear from presentation of unmerited eulogy to any leader, so that, power would become theirs somebody as they earnestly anticipate; or like Esau, they ought to go ahead and sell their birthright just for a bowl of meats. If they don’t desist from such unwholesome attitude, the proposed town-hall meeting, if eventually observed by the Presidency, would as well be marred by sycophancy.

     Another devastating phenomenon, which triggers the senses of anyone who understands the societal implications, is that most Nigerians have resorted to adopting it as a norm or their occupation having inured themselves to it, thereby relegating morality, modesty and integrity to the background. And pitiably, they have no iota of plan in the nearest future to abjure it, or even lose a bit of interest.

     Against this backdrop, the President Mohammadu Buhari led administration that’s anchored on a change mantra is expected to do everything within its reach towards ensuring that sycophants are not just shown the way out, but thoroughly prosecuted considering the fact that they are deadlier than highway robbers. Thus, as the said administration is strongly determined to wipe out corruption in the country in its entirety, sycophancy ought to be treated as one of its priorities.

    This significantly implies that, there’s a compelling need to enact a strict law that would  adequately address the anomaly, which is observed in every such field of human endeavour as, but not limited to, trading, education, health, politics, governance, business, journalism, and what have you. Suffice it to say that, the cankerworm is found in our everyday social, economic, as well as political lives.

    Indeed, blarney, which remains a deceptive and fake gesture in any setting, is wicked, inhumane and deadly; hence, needs to be considered as such. Like cancer, it has conspicuously eaten up the soul and conscience of this country. While ending the lifespan of this dreaded monster, no one should be seen as being above the law or above mankind. Think about it!  

Comr Fred Doc Nwaozor

Twitter: @mediambassador