The 10th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Prof. Lilian Salami, assumed duties on December 2, as the second woman to head the 49-year-old institution. Members of the staff and students have listed views what needs to be changed to make the institution great again. OSAGIE OTABOR and IFUNANYA OSAKWE report.
THE jubilation that followed the appointment of Prof. Lilian Salami as the 10th substantive Vice-Chancellor of the University of Benin (UNIBEN) and the second woman to hold the position on October 26, has since died down.
Salami assumed duties fully on December 2, to a table of challenges facing the institutions. She was also bombarded by requests by students, lecturers and other workers to lift the 49-nine-year old institution to greater heights.
She made record as the second woman to man the office after Prof Grace Alele Williams’ appointment in 1985.
Prof. Salami took over from Prof. Osasere Orhumwense, who urged the staff members and students to extend a hand of fellowship to his successor, assuring that she would move the institution to the greatest heights.
“She needs your cooperation. This is our university. We must move it forward. The kind of support you gave to me, also give it her,” he said.
There is a whole lot for Prof Salami to do –from improving classroom facilities and hostel accommodation, to addressing epileptic power and water supplies.
Early last month, the students blocked the Benin-Lagos Highway, protesting lack of water and electricity in their hostels. The lack of electricity was due to the debt being owed the Benin Electricity Distribution Company.
The protesting students said they were extorted by the university management, condemning the poor state of their hostels, which they said were characterised by leaking roofs, poor toilet facilities, untidy environment and overgrown weeds.
Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Dr. Joy Omoregie said the institution needed a facelift, adding that the union would not stampede Prof. Salami into action.
“We will encourage her to do her best. We need to wait to see how things unfold. We are partners in progress,” said the ASUU boss.
For the Head of the Mass Communication, Dr. Comfort Ogbaje, priority should be given to the Ekenwan Campus, which hosts her department.
She told CAMPUSLIFE that the institution, especially the Department of Mass Communication, had lost some key facilities supposed to aid lecturers in effectively carrying out their teaching job.
She lamented that the department did not have radio/TV studios, and even public address systems for teachers to use in the overcrowded lecture halls.
She said: “Most of the equipment and facilities that aid lecturers to teach well are not there anymore. In most cases you will see a lecturer asking the students ‘have you seen a radio studio, or have you seen a television studio?’ instead of showing it to them. The practical aspect of teaching is no longer there for a very long time now.
“The classes are not conducive for teaching and learning. While the halls are not supposed to take more than 70 per cent of students at a time, what we have now is a situation where over I00 per cent of the students crowd into a hall.
Sometimes, the students stand outside the hall. Sadly, because of the high number of students lecturers are supposed to fall back on the use of microphone to amplify their voices, but even the microphones are not there.
“Naturally as the head of the department, I am not happy that lecturers and students are subjected to such harrowing experience. For me, therefore, the Ekenwan Campus is one place the incoming VC has to pay so much attention to and rebuild in its entirety.”
On power supply, Dr. Ogbaje said teaching without electricity was a disadvantage.
“Another issue is power which is a big challenge for the country. But I hope something can be done about it. Lack of electricity makes teaching and learning uncomfortable, a Lecturer may want to use a Laptop to show something to the students but because there is no power he won’t be able to do so. This makes teaching very uncomfortable.
“I however believe in the ability of the VC to turn the Ekenwan campus around for the good of both the staff and students. She has been with us in the institution for a very long time and of course knows our problems,” she said.
For Martins Ephraim, an Economics and Statistics student, the reduction of the acceptance fees and school fees students pay is one thing he wants Prof. Salami to tackle.
“Imagine a situation where incoming students have to pay as much as N60,000 as acceptance fees and even more as school fees. For me, it is too high for a federal university. The school fees and acceptance fees are even more than that of state universities. This is one area the incoming VC should look into and bring the fees down,” he said.
Ephraim also spoke about water and power supply.
“There is also the issue of lack of power supply and water. The VC should do something to solve the water and electricity problems of the school. At least, ensure there is water in the school and electricity. If you remember, the students recently had to protest the lack of electricity and water in the school,” he said.
Chisom Oguekenma, a student of Mass Communication, also complained about the high school fees and departmental dues.
A student of the Department of English and Literature, Ogechi Osakwe, said the health centre was inefficient and only attended to patients when they were critically ill.
“For example, if you are diagnosed with malaria, the drugs in most cases are never adequate. You are forced to even buy additional from patient’s drug dealers. This is not good enough as not all the students will have the money to purchase the drugs”, she said.
Israel Alumona, a 200-Level student of Biochemistry, on his part, lamented the inadequacy of the science laboratory.
“The laboratory is not well equipped and is also not enough for the number of students. In most cases, there are up to 200 students in a laboratory meant for 50 students, which is why we are not very good in the practical aspect in the science faculty.
“There is also the case of students receiving lectures in the laboratory. This is not advisable as chemicals can combust or might be inhaled by the students which are very dangerous and harmful to our health”, he said.
The new VC is aware of the myriads of problems plaguing the institution and has a plan in place to tackle them.
She said: “There is no doubt that the University has infrastructure and amenity problems including but not limited to water, bad road network, power supply, inadequate classrooms, poor state of students’ hostels and staff quarters, antiquated laboratories, poor state of main auditorium, dilapidated Senate building, antiquated ICT/CRPU centre and poor recreational amenities amongst others.”
She said her emergence as VC marked the start of the next phase of UNIBEN’s journey into the digital age.
Her vision is captured under seven pillars in her strategic plan.
The seven pillars are: Increased funding and sustainable initiatives; develop environmental value and ethical orientation; ensure quality academic programme; enhance staff and students welfare and security; expand physical structural development and management; increase human capital development and management; and community impact initiative.
Prof. Salami said she would mount relevant creative and innovative education programmes to attract the young and the old among the workers. However, she said discipline would be her watchword.
She said: “We are going to demand that teaching and non-teaching staff show quality mentorship and exemplary leadership to students. Both deserving staff and students will be meritoriously recognised while equitable sanction will be given to those erring.
“I make the commitment today to actively listen to you, transparently communicate and be a champion for all to promote our students and great institution.
“My administration places high premium on productivity. Our prized faculties who are the heartbeat of this institution require focused support to stimulate their research and teaching.
“Faculty and staff members who constitute themselves as clog in the wheel of progress through redundancy will be compulsorily retrained and appropriately re-deployed and in un-trainable other actions will be considered.
“Staff will be encourage to attend conferences, seminars and workshops to upskill themselves so the can be abreast with the latest trends, technology, information and methodologies to positively impact students.”
Prof. Salami said she would place priority on the students and their needs.
“For us, the reason we are here is for the students. I intend to listen, I intend to take their welfare problem as priority in my administration. We are going to look at teaching and learning processes. We are going to look at accommodation which is a major problem.
The more we have more students on campus, the better in controlling them. I am going to pursue that. We must have conducive learning environment. We can not produce hoodlums.
We need to have environment that is friendly to our students so that they can learn better and would better output so that we have students that are marketable internationally.
If we must develop this country, it is the youth we will rely on and UNIBEN will take a front burner in that direction.
“We are as good as the quality of students that we produce. I firmly declare to you that I stand here to serve our diverse student community and welcome everyone who strives for positive change for this great institution.”
Being a woman in the most powerful position in the university does not faze Prof. Salami, who said gender was no big deal.
She said: “I don’t think it is a challenge becoming the second female Vice Chancellor of this university. Gender has not been an issue.
We have had Chief Executives that were women and the records are there to show their level of performance. Contrary to what people think, women do it much better because we get so emotional and get ourselves tied into whatever responsibility we have been given. I have a history that is there to see and hear about.
I did my very best in all capacities that I have worked. UNIBEN would not be different. There are no doubts we have challenges, I think they are surmountable. I am here to do just that.”
Chairman of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Comrade Anthony Igbinosa, prayed the new VC get the funding to carry out her promises.
“She has been in the system and we know her antecedents. She will replicate most of them. We don’t expect anything less than to move the institution to great heights.
Orhumwense, in his exit speech, said academics took a giant leap while he was VC, saying the National Universities Commission gave full accreditation to the institution’s programmes.
Orumwense said a significant part of intellectual footprints of his administration was the Centre of Excellence in Reproductive Health Initiative (CERHI), a World Bank-assisted project, adding that 80 inaugural lectures and six eminent lecture series were held under him.
He also said the university under his watch, made exploits in research and learning, including staff welfare and ensuring peace on campus.
“It is also to the credit of this administration that the three years of promotion gap of Staff has been approved in place of the long standing four years gap,” he said.
Not all the staff members and students believe that Orhumwense achieved much. But whether they would clap for Salami the same way they cheered her would be determined in five years.
Prof. Salami is a professor of Home Economics/Nutritional Education. The Edo State indigene was born in Jos, Plateau State, on August 8, 1956.
She was appointed Senior Lecturer in UNIBEN in 1994 and rose to become a professor in 2005. Prof. Salami was also the director-general/chief executive officer, National Institute for Educational Planning and Administration (NEPA) Ondo State.
Outside academics, she is a member of the Advisory Council to his royal majesty, the Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Ukukpolokpolo, Oba Ewuare II.