Victor EzejaTHE 1985 graduating class, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) on Wednesday donated a Rotary tablet press to the university to aid the training of Pharmaceutical students in drugs production. But this gesture has triggered calls for other alumni to support the University rebuild its delapidating infrastructure.
Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Charles Igwe, who expressed delight with the equipment said to have cost about N9.9 million, urged other alumni from different faculities and departments to follow suit.
He charged the alumni of the institution to always give back to the university to cater for its dilapidated infrastructure.
Igwe who also tasked different faculties of the university on productivity added that the institution would not be worth its name if it could not create different products to take care of basic societal needs.
He equally charged the University of Nigeria Alumni Association, (UNAA) to eschew politics but live up to its bidding by effecting development projects in the university, adding that UNN, an institution of over 60 years needs supplements just as aged parents.
“We are becoming so much theoretical. I charge all the faculties of this university to be more practical and productive. If a Faculty of Agriculture, for instance, cannot produce food crops which ordinary farmer in villages can produce, it is not worthy to answer a Faculty of Agriculture, same as other faculties. The University of Nigeria of my dream is a university which its faculties are productive to meet the needs of the society.
READ: BREAKING: Pharmacy Alumni Donate N9.9M Tablet Press To UNN
“I have been and would continue to task the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences to give the university the ‘Lion Paracetamol.’ This is why I am happy over the donation of this tablet press which would facilitate the production of drugs in this faculty.
“I want to congratulate the class of 1985 for taking the bull by the horns. This is what we expect from alumni associations.
“We should begin to educate our alumni associations that it is not only politics that they should come to the university to play. UNAA has left the fundamental things expected of it like what we see from its peers in Havard and Cambridge Universities and has delved into who becomes the Vice Chancellor and who to support to win elections.
“Our alumni association now depends on the money the students contribute. I have told the leadership that the association cannot continue like that. The association cannot be collecting money from small boys and girls that it is supposed to be taking care of. I charge the association to produce things that are of more benefits to the alma mater. The strength of the certificates the graduates of this institution are carrying, depends on the present status of the university,” the VC said.
Making the presentation at the Altinez Lecture Hall, UNN, the Executive President, Circle of ’85 Pharm; Chuka Dozie Chukwuanu, said the machine was procured through freewill contributions of the members of the Class of 1985 to help in the training of the present and future students of UNN’s Faculty of the Pharmaceutical Sciences.
Chukwuanu, who described the donation as “a trigger project,” also called on other sets of alumni who passed through UNN to give-back to their alma mater and improve its infrastructure and human capital.
“It was out of hearts overflowing with gratitude, therefore, that we all decided to begin to give back to this great institution and contribute to the training of the present and future students of our faculty. This Rotary Tablet Press was procured in Shanghai and purchased with the freewill contributions of all members of our class. We are proud of ourselves but even prouder of the faculty and students who would use it to improve their training.
Dean, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, UNN, Prof Kenneth Ofokansi, said the Class of 1985 had demonstrated huge premium the members place on quality education by donating the tablet press to the faculty.
While describing the President of the association, Chukwuanu, as a workaholic who has continued to make his mark in positive transformation of humanity, he appreciated the Vice Chancellor for his unending supports to his faculty, especially in reviving its pilot mandates.
While delivering his keynote address tagged: Strategic Partnership, a former president of UNAA, Dr. Okey Ewurum, said that there is growing need for classroom works to achieve convergence with entrepreneurship.
Dr. Ewurum, who bemoaned the continuous decline of budgetary allocations by Federal Government on education, and other negative impacts of economy on learning processes, added that all alumni must have a vested interest towards improving the standard of education in UNN.
He also said “Our alma mater is like our mother. We should not abandon the mother who nurtured us. The University of Nigeria is not a honeycomb we should trash after satisfying our taste buds with the honey. The University of Nigeria is not an envelope that we drop aside after we take out the letter. The University of Nigeria is in fact, that letter that we need to keep safely and securely. We should not be lions and lionesses standing by.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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