Varsities Mgt Responsible for crisis in Alumni Associations - Dr Agua-Onyekwelu

By Our Reporters

Dr. Linda Agua-Onyekwelu, the Chief Executive Officer, Linda Agricultural Products and Services Ltd Lagos has alleged that some university managements in the country are responsible for crisis in Alumni Associations.

Agua-Onyekwelu said this in Nsukka on Thursday in a remark during the  University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN),  Maiden Alumni Homecoming of Faculty of Biological Science.

She said that as a result of the crisis many of that alumni feel reluctant donate to their Alma mater, hence they are not sure if their donations will be judiciously used for the development of the instructions.

"Some of the universities in Nigeria, especially premier universities have alumni that are movers and shakers of the economy capable of taking their Alma mater to the next level in terms of infrastructural development.

"But because of this crisis rocking many alumni associations in the country, they feel reluctant to donate since they are afraid of management interference and the authentic executive to donate to," she said.

According to Agua-Onyekwelu who received Excellence Award during the occasion as a result of her immense contribution to the faculty sited UNN as a case study.

The 1988 graduate of Zoology Department explained that without the age-long crisis rocking UNN alumni association that has resulted in series of litigations in court, the alumni could have contributed immensely for the institution to compete favourable with other universities in and outside the country.

"Managements interference in UNN alumni association has affected the infrastructural development the alumni ought to have contributed to the university.

"Management want to influence who becomes the president, they want to control and determine what happens and what will not happen in the association.

"I was elected as the first ever female Alumni Nationl President in 2019, yet another person is parading himself as the national president.

"You can now understand my point, as well understand why public tertiary universities is facing infrastructural crisis in Nigeria," she said.

Agua-Onyekwelu, however, made a donation of One Million Naira to the faculty.

Also during the Maiden Alumni Homecoming Prof Ikechukwu Dozie the Vice-Chancellor,  kingsley Ozumba Mbadiwe University Ideato, Imo State, said that alumni have vital role to play in the development of their alma mater.

While delivering his keynote speech titled "The alumni; An Untapped Resource in  the Nigerian Universities."

He said that leading universities in the world, were rated first class universities as result of immense contributions of their alumin .

"Alumni if properly harnessed can make significant difference in the finance and promotion of their alma mater.

"In countries like United States of America and Canada universities rely on gifts and donations from alumni to meet significant fraction of their annual budget.

"In 2018 Havard University reported a total alumni donations of 12.5 billion dollars," he said.

According to him,  alumin in the western world in addition of donating money were also in the forefront of marketing or promoting their institutions.

"They carry the imprint of their institutions not only on their certificate but also on personalities.

"Wherever they alumni go they carry with them  the historical conscience of their alma mater," he said.

The VC who is alumus of UNN urged alumni in the country to emulate their colleagues abroad in developing  their alma mater that made them what they were now.

"If alumni assist in funding of their alma mater it will boost infrastructures as well as help to attract foreign staff and students the institution.

"Lack of significant international outlook is one of the reasons Nigerian universities are poorly ranked in Africa and globally, " he said.

Dozie expressed appreciation to the faculty for finding him worthy to be the keynote speaker in the first homecoming of the faculty.

"I am overwhelmed and humbled in this honour done to me, I will continue to be a good ambassador of the UNN wherever I find myself," Dozie said.

Speaking Prof Bartho Okolo, the former VC of UNN who was the Chairman of the occasion urged Universities to always make learning an exciting experience to their students to enable them to remember their alma mater after graduation.

Okolo advised undergraduates to always focus on their studies so as to be important personalities in future that would contribute immensely to the their alma mater.

"If you remain focused and study hard you may be President, Governor, national lawmakers Vice-Chancellor, captains of industry.

"Remember that your level of hardwork will determine what you will be in future,"he said.

The former VC commended the faculty for organising the first homecoming which he said would help to bring together alumni of the faculty that would help to address some problems facing the faculty.

Earlier in a remark, Prof Florence Akaneme, the Dean of the faculty thanked the alumni who came from far and near for attending the first homecoming of the faculty.

Akaneme urged them  to register in the alumni portal in UNN website, this she said would help the faculty to maintain close rapport with alumni of the faculty.

The dean said the faculty needed N153m for reroofing and painting of faculty building, upgrading  its laboratories, installation of solar power, rigid pavement parking lots, cable for internet connectivity as well as dean and project vehicles for the faculty.

"We also needs a new faculty building as some staff of the faculty have no office accommodation because of limited offices in our present building.

"The N153m mentioned  above does not include cost to construct new faculty building.

"Is my prayer that at the end of this homecoming the faculty will be moved to the next level," she said.