Visitation Panel Solicits Support of UNN Community, Calls for Memoranda

By Uchechukwu Nnaike

Members of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) community have been called upon to take advantage of the Federal Government’s Visitation Panel to the institution by submitting their memoranda and participating, actively in the process for the university’s overall future development.

Chairman of the panel and former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Gambo Laraba Abdullahi, who said this in a statement signed by the Secretary, Mrs. Bukola Olatunji, described the visitation as a very important assignment, which promises to, among others, address the challenges facing public university education in the country, in order to proffer solutions to them.

She therefore urged all relevant stakeholders of UNN to play their parts in ensuring that the objectives of the exercise are achieved.

The panel is to review the performance of each institution and advise the federal government in the areas of governance, academic standards, quality assurance, management of finances, relationships between management, staff and students, as well as conditions of physical infrastructure and instructional facilities, among others.

The federal government had constituted visitation panels to all federal tertiary institutions and they were inaugurated by the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu on Monday and Tuesday, April 12 and 13, 2021, at the National Universities Commission (NUC), Abuja. Given 60 days to submit their reports, covering 2011 to 2015 and 2016 to 2020, their terms of reference are: To inquire into the level of implementation of the white paper on the last visitation report; to look into the leadership quality of each university in terms of the roles of governing council, the vice-chancellors and other principal officers; to look into the financial management of each institution, including statutory allocations and internally generated revenue over the recommended period and determine whether it was in compliance with appropriate regulations

Others are: To investigate the applications of funds, particularly the special grants and loans meant for specific projects in order to determine the status of such projects and their relevance for further funding; to examine the adequacy of the staff and staff development programmes of each university; to determine the relationship between the university and the various statutory bodies it interacts with, according to its Law for the purposes of supervision, planning, finance, discipline, guidance and any other relationship (i.e. governing council, NUC and Federal Ministry of Education); to examine the Law establishing the University, including the relationship between the various internal organs, units and offices and indicate the ways the Law has been observed by the competent authorities and also suggest any modifications to the Law.

The visitation panel is also expected to trace the historical evolution of the university and take stock of its net achievements and problems, as well as its style and direction; to examine the general security in the university and how the university has dealt with it and recommend appropriate measures; and to examine the process and structures of discipline of students in each university, in line with due process of the rule of law.

Other members of the UNN Panel are: Professor Prekeyi Tawari-Fufeyin; Alhaji Jimoh Ayinla Bankole; Professor Danladi Slim Matawal; Professor Osy Ezechukwunyere Nwebo; and Barr Abdul Ibrahim Radda.