Why would university be on Band A? – GOUni queries EEDC

Godfrey Okoye University (GOUni) in Enugu, has decried the placement of the university in Band A by the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) saying the billing is “ridiculous”.

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Christian Anieke, disclosed this while unveiling his vision for 2024/2025 Academic Session, on Friday in Enugu.

While reiterating the university’s commitment in installing solar light in all the student hostels, the vice chancellor wondered how the EEDC would put a university on Band A .

“It is only in Nigeria that you see things like this, billing a university like a business entity,” he added.

Speaking on plans for the 2024/2025 academic year, the vice chancellor said that the institution would boost its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) through research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Anieke said each department in the university must show evidence of IGR without additional payment by the student either inform of commission or funding from the university.

Anieke directed all faculties and departments to redouble efforts to generate funds through research, grants and collaboration with the alumni of the university.

He however, cautioned departments and faculties against billing the students in the name of revenue generation.

According to him, if any department wants us to fund it, they must show us their strong evidence of IGR.

“They will do this, without telling students to pay but IGR from grants research and collaboration with the Alumni of the university and friends.

“Our IGR will come from our understanding of entrepreneurship thinking, research and innovation,” he said.

The vice chancellor added that the university would invest more on research, its facilities and redefined the duties of directorates of research.

He promised that the fees the university collected from students must be same as fees charged by the best 10 private universities in Nigeria which he said would guarantee attractive salaries for university employees.

“There is competition and if you don’t pay well, the brilliant ones will leave, while some under performing programmes and directorates will be closed,” the vice chancellor said.

He said the number of new and postgraduate students would exceed 1,500 and 300 students respectively, charging lecturers to redouble their efforts to make his vision a reality.

“Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory will be added to medical programme before the end of 2024 while Computer Science will become a faculty of Computing and Information Technology.

“More Post Graduate Programmes and attraction of international students and virtual lectures must be achieved within 2024/2025 academic session.

“Each faculty will at least have one smart classroom where students can download information; while lectures in the Computer Department will be done with only power point projector and smart boards.

“You can come there with a marker. Lecturers and students must come with their laptops not phones,” he said.

NAN reports that the university resumed for the new academic session on Friday.