VC, alumni trade words over neglect of exceptional FUPRE students, others

Authorities of the Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta state and members of its alumni association are at loggerheads over the alleged neglect of the best performing students of the institution.

The members of the alumni who visited the vice chancellor, Prof Akii Ibhadode in his office, accused the management of focusing on giving awards to prominent individuals rather than rewarding students who excelled in their departments as it is done in other institutions.

The president of the association, Obaro Egagifo who led the group told the institution’s management represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof John Arubayi, that in other universities, best graduating students are retained to serve as motivation for hard work to others.

“We note with dismay that there was no statement either from the vice chancellor or the visitor concerning outstanding graduates just like is obtainable in other universities where best graduating students are retained to serve as motivation for hard work for our younger brothers and sisters in climbing the academic ladder.”

Egagifo said most of the members and students who attended the recent convocation ceremony “came to the conclusion that the event was meant for the dignitaries and not the graduating students as less attention was given to them”.

He equally criticised the university management for not attaching any importance to building halls of residence for its students who are forced to live off -campus with its attendant consequences.

According to the alumni association, no single hostel had been built in the university since the pioneer set graduated in 2012 adding that the FUPRE authorities had failed to properly manage the Federal government’s Needs Assessment Intervention funds to positively impact in the infrastructural development of the university.

They equally alleged that university management did not bother to get the input of the alumni during the planning of the convocation ceremony.The deputy vice chancellor, who represented the VC, was visibly angry that the alumni members did not seek to meet with the management in private to discuss these issues but decided to release their highly critical statement to the public.

Prof Arubayi explained that the first convocation ceremony should not be a gauge to measure the university’s performance since it was the first since its inception 10 years ago and that everything could not have been gotten right.

He disagreed with the university alumni over the Needs Intervention fund saying the Vice Chancellor is always on the move to get the university on solid footing. He disclosed that TETFund released N500 million to the university which had been expended on projects already completed and commissioned.