Caveat Emptor: Corruption fighting back in University of Maiduguri

In recent few years, most people will bear witness the happenings within the system of leadership in the University of Maiduguri. Different past administrations have come and funds were earmarked for the betterment of the institution but nothing has changed; only God knows where the monies have gone to. These sets of people have turned the University coffers into their own personal property and a vault of some sort. Now these people even after leaving office, stuck around formed a kind of fraternity and try to play a vital role in bringing on board any principal officer of the institution so as to do their bidding and act like an errand boy to them.

Many of us will vividly recall the circumstances that culminated in the emergence of the current vice chancellor Prof Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, and here again certain individuals who had their preferred candidate for the office have resorted to all manner of grossly insensitive and tribal stereotyping so as to hinder the emergence of Prof Njodi and pave way for their candidate but God is the only One that gives power and to whom He so desires, and so Prof. Njodi emerged. The rest is now history. In addition, going by the nature of Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi whose pedigree of calmness, honesty, accountability, diligence, competence, stance against corruption, and dedication to service is known to all has come in with a different unusual approach to governance which his only cardinal objectives are prudence and overhaul change in the system of governance that is capable of putting smiles on the faces of the overall students and staff.

However, these disgruntled individuals apparently will stop at nothing to see this nascent administration of Prof. Njodi fail to see the light of the day, they shifted to all manner of calumnies, traduces, blame games and mudslinging all in the name of tarnishing the image of the VC and also put skepticisms in the minds of the gullible members of the public so as to undermine the efficacy of his excellent job as the Vice Chancellor of this great institution. They made several frivolous, false, speculative and libelous allegations against the Vice Chancellor, all of which are without merit.

Notwithstanding, Perhaps it is important to point out, with all sense of modesty, to everyone who has been to University of Maiduguri in the last two years will conspicuously see the pace setting transformations embarked upon by this selfless leader through his unrelenting commitment, dedication to duty, new policy initiatives, fine tuning of administrative machinery, unalloyed support and cooperation he gets from the governing council, senate staff, students and alumni of the university translating into his making substantial progress in moving the University of Maiduguri forward in spite of the huge security challenge since his coming as the Vice Chancellor of the institution about thirty (30) months ago. This progress is evident from the improved academic development, regularization of academic calendar, significant improvement of teaching and learning environment, establishment of new academic Departments, Centers and institutes and promotion of linkages with the university both nationally and internationally amongst others.

Furthermore, it may also interest you to note that through Prof Njodi’s indefatigability and untiring efforts and commitment for the development of University of Maiduguri his own alma mater, he sacrificed his life and defied all security threats and challenges posed by Boko Haram insurgents to travel by road almost fortnightly in order to attract agencies that will bring developmental project to the university, for example:

• TETFund Special interventions which constructed the following:

i. Ten (10) Duplexes (Professorial quarters) (completed and occupied)

ii. Faculty of arts building (completed and occupied)

iii. Two storey Senate Building the first of its kind since the establishment of the university of Maiduguri - STATE GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION which constructed the following:

i. Ten (10) Semi – detached 2 bed rooms staff houses

ii. Provision of 2nd aquifer borehole/generating set for water supply on campus

• National Airspace Research Development Agency (NARSDA) intervention worth N105m for airspace data first of its kind

• Research laboratory bench position for staff research and development at University Putra Malaysia and Universiti Malaysia, Kelantan in Engineering and Veterinary Medicine

• Grants for staff training positions for six (6) Masters Degree and six (6) Ph.D worth over N500m to be funded by German Government (DAAD) in collaboration with the Universitat Hildersheim, Germany.

Again, both students and staff will bear witness that in just two years of Prof. Njodi at helms of affairs completed the construction of three new hostel blocks namely:

i. New Male hostel along the road that leads to BOT female hostel, opposite C block

ii. State of the art New Female Hostel named after the wife of the president H.E Aisha Muhammadu Buhari

iii. And new Titanic Hostel opposite the University Central Mosque.

Lest I forget, you may wish to know that Prof. Njodi after coming into office signed a backlog of over sixty Five Thousand (65, 000) Diploma, Undergraduate and Post Graduate certificates which has not been done or signed for more than 10 years. Aside provision of vehicles to different departments, faculties and institutes within the campus to ease their operations, upgrading of firefighting department to a state of the arts with sophisticated equipment, provision of caterpillar truck, modern crane truck for fixing street and security lights, bringing fully back to life a once dead swimming pool for recreation of both staff and students, establishment of a highly modernized garden popularly known as ‘LOVE GARDEN’ on campus for recreation of students and many more of live changing, learning and research boosting transformations carried out by this honest and selfless leader .

It was also, if you may recall, under Prof NJodi that the university held its 22nd combined Convocation and 40th Anniversary celebrations between 11th to 16th of April, 2016 where five (5) sets of students for 2009/2010, 2010/2011, 2011/2012, 2012/2013, 2013/2014 and 2014/2015 academic sessions were awarded Degrees, Diplomas Certificates as well as Prizes and Awards of Excellence, who would have attained this feat if not a selfless and courageous leader.

I know every sensible and reasonable individual will now say kudos to this foresighted leader but these ached, myopic, and highly egocentric individuals who think only of themselves will buttress the opposite and therefore stop at nothing to poison the minds of the intelligently inclined members of the general public, the reason simply put, Prof. Njodi is accepted by all and sundry but BEWARE.

Therefore, I am urging the generality of the UNIMAID students who are here to be MADE and the general members of staff to clearly see the transparent leadership style of Prof. Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi and also know how misguiding, falsifying, unwarrantable and unjustifiable allegations and calumnies are constructed by these people just to bring down the apparent acceptability of Prof. Njodi by his intelligent students and members of staff. I want the University of Maiduguri Community and members of the public to know that Prof. Njodi’s only dream, vision and mission is to see University of Maiduguri attain greatness in every facet of learning, research and become an embodiment of molding the generation of future leaders.

The teaming students of this great institution, the general staffers and the entire public should continue to give their support to this clean minded leader and also disregard, reveal and frustrate all the activities of these cabalistic and esoteric individuals who are bent on destroying the good works of our able and indefatigable vice chancellor Prof Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi.

Thank you.

Mukhtar Ahmad Jada A concerned Ex-student writes from Lagos.