Imo State University Visitation Panel Submits Report to Uzodimma, Recommends Sweeping Changes

GOVERNMENT OF IMO STATE

PRESS RELEASE

Imo State University Visitation Panel Submits Report to Uzodimma, Recommends Sweeping Changes

The Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma has expressed satisfaction with the job done by the Imo State University Visitation Panel Chaired by Prof. Chinedu Nebo, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).

The panel, in its report, has recommended sweeping changes that will position the school to competitiveness.

Receiving a report of the Panel at the Sam Mbakwe Executive Chambers, Government House, Owerri on Friday, Governor Uzodimma expressed joy that the team did not fail to look into critical areas expected of them in a bid to find ways to check corruption and maladministration bedeviling the University.

Governor Uzodimma who pledged to personally look at the report assured that all recommendations that will better the institution, the expectation of Imo people from the University and humanity in general will be implemented.

He stressed that education, being the pivot through which people acquire knowledge and skill is in hot demand in Imo and that the State cannot afford to lag behind in taking Imo State University to a competitive and admirable height.

Governor Uzodimma re-assured that the expectations of the Panel will not be disappointed. “It is either IMSU becomes a University or never,” the Governor said, promising to apply and exhaust all extant rules to reposition the tertiary institution for academic excellence and to bequeath same to our society.

Earlier, while presenting the report, the Chairman of the Visitation Panel, Professor Nebo, in what he called “Executive Summary” outlined several issues that have contributed to the rot in the school.

The plethora of issues highlighted in Prof. Nebo’s Executive Summary are: falsified age claim, need for ICT compliant personnel, especially by the Principal officers, digitization of the Institution, succession based on academic excellence and passion to deliver rather than being parasitic to the school, implementation of summary petitions, and shortfalls in school fees collected from students. Others include: mismanagement of the Bursary Department coupled with unchecked loss in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), lack of knowledge of the exact number of students, over-bloated salaries of some workers, need for forensic audit etc. to properly reposition the University.

Eleven out of the thirteen members of the Visitation Panel were present during the report submission.

Oguwike Nwachuku

Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser (Gov.)

May 15, 2020

DSC 7192 Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodimma (left) receiving report documents from Prof. Chinedu Nebo, Chairman of IMSU Visitation Panel at Sam Mbakwe Exco Chamber, Government House, Owerri.