PROF NWAJIUBA REFLECTS AGAIN ON HIS PARTING MANTRA “PLEASE DON’T LET THIS DREAM DIE” AS TETFund BENEFICIARIES GIVE BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY
For the third time, Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu- Alike, Ebonyi State, Prof Chinedum Uzoma Nwajiuba spoke on what has become his parting mantra, “Please Don’t Let This Dream Die” and this time, focus was on the ‘Culture of Giving’, at the occasion of presentation of office equipment by some TETFund Scholarship beneficiaries, as a way of giving back to the University and mostly to assist the University TETFund Office responsible for TETFund AST+D in AE-FUNAI.


Prof Nwajiuba speaking at the event
Following the culture of giving which the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Chinedum Nwajiuba, has successfully instilled on members of the university community, some TETFund beneficiaries decided to support the Vice-Chancellor’s vision by donating a Refrigerator, one photocopier and a printer to the University TETFund Desk Office.

While addressing the Vice-Chancellor and those present, TETFund Desk Officer AE-FUNAI, Dr. Anne Nwankwo, thanked the Vice-Chancellor for honoring the invitation under such a short notice, noting that the scholars had approached her saying they wanted to do something for the school to show their appreciation so far and pleaded with her to make it possible for them to make their presentation directly to the VC, which was why we all gathered. Dr. Nwankwo then introduced Mr. Stanley Iheanacho and Mrs. Uju Nwanji as Beneficiaries of TETFund local sponsorship to the Vice-Chancellor.


Dr Mrs Nwankwo making presentation
Speaking on behalf of the TETFund AST& beneficiaries, some of who were unavoidably absent while presenting the gifts on their behalf, Mr. Stanley Iheanacho thanked the Vice-Chancellor for his unwavering support towards the growth and development of the institution, stating that all his efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. He said himself and the rest of his team agreed to make the freewill donation to the TETFund Desk office after the Vice-Chancellor’s approval for them to be paid their final tranche of scholarship from TETFund. “This is our own way of supporting what VC has been doing in the university and also our way of giving back to our university community” he noted.


Mr Iheanacho (Left) presenting the items to VC, Prof Nwajiuba (Right)
Prof. Nwajiuba appreciated the donors, saying that he was delighted for the kind gesture of the scholars and hoped that the culture of giving does not leave AE-FUNAI with him. He pointed out that five months from now, he will be addressed as the former Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike and that he won’t be leaving with any of the donations individuals and groups have made since he assumed office. He went down memory lane of the state of the school when he became VC in 2016, how students sat on bare floor to receive lectures and take examinations, how a set of students skipped workshop for a semester due to lack of a engineering workshop in the campus and made bold to say, “but today the story is different”. He also pointed out that he had lived by example in giving to the young University, to the extent that he had made numerous donations such as bringing rods from home and other equipment to support the development of the institution.


(R-L) Prof Akor, Dean PG School, Odisa Okeke (Mrs), Registrar, Prof Nwajiuba, Mr Iheanacho, Mrs Uju Nwanji, Dr Anne Nwankwo with Prof Ejike, DAP and Chris Uwadoka, Ag. Dir Partnership at the 2nd Row
VC recalled his earlier speech as VC when he requested all hands on deck to expand the school and forge the university to greater heights, having met only three faculties and how members of the university community cheered not understanding the implication and dynamics of change. He acknowledged that there has been positive response from some staff who donated their salaries and other materials at some point to help grow the school. He pointed that he was proud to say that AE-FUNAI is now described as the most serious public university, iterating that “discipline and order are the challenges of man so when you enforce it, it doesn’t make you popular” He remembered struggling with staff on the time they report to work and how it has improved to a reasonable level, praying that the dream of ‘sustainability’ does not die in the university and that seriousness will continue to be a culture of the institution.

VC pointed the key components that he envisioned in time which had helped him accomplish a lot in the university, as energy, passion, competence, knowledge and character, urging the scholars to take their studies and their jobs seriously because analog lecturers interacting with digital students cannot work and that one major responsibility of a leader is to prepare the next generation of leaders.

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