RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT TWENTY FIVE

 

 

Activities marking the silver jubilee celebration of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology Nkpolu Port Harcourt began in April 2005.

 

The Institution was established in 1980, by a Bill given assent on 6th August, 1980 by the first civilian Governor of Rivers State, Chief Melford Okilo. The assent saw the historic birth of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology which was formally opened on the 31st of October, 1980 and thus the first University of Science and Technology in Nigeria.

 

Like other Universities, this premier Technological University in Nigeria was established as a result of the need to produce science and technology manpower at various levels needed for essential development. As a University, it is charged with the responsibility of encouraging the advancement of learning and to hold out to all persons without distinction of race, creed, sex or political conviction, the opportunity of acquiring a higher and liberal education.

 

Over the years, Nigerians and indeed Rivers people have sought the revered Golden Fleece abroad and in some older Nigerian Universities sometimes with hardship, deprivation and hazards. But today, the Rivers State University of Science and Technology is readily rendering this service to, not just Nigerians and Rivers indigenes, but to humanity.

 

At inception in October 1980, the University which was formally a Collage of Science and Technology had seven faculties. These were the Faculties of Agriculture, Engineering Environmental Sciences, Law, Management Science, Sciences, Technology and Science Education.

 

Today, it has a Postgraduate School, a law Faculty, five Institutes and five centres. It is on result that this unique citadel of learning, has since its 25 years of establishment, produced over twenty thousand graduates of various distinction and profession, most of whom are today professors, High court Judges, Magistrates, Engineers, Legislators, Technocrats, Top Politicians and Administrators.

 

As the institution celebrates her Silver Jubilee this year, it is important to express gratitude to the founding fathers of this great University for their vision and Support, for the Landmark achievements of the University are due to9 their Vision and Wisdom.

 

Since his assumption of office in 1990, the incumbent Governor of Rivers State and Visitor to the University, Dr. Peter Odili has indeed demonstrated high level of commitment and love towards the welfare and development of the institution.

 

In the year 200, Dr. Odili donated two giant Generators to the University and released funds for the refurbishing of internal water pipes on the Campus. Ever since, the University has witnessed uninterrupted light and water supply. Dr. Odili also undertook the renovation of Hostels and Classrooms in the University.

 

The Governor also released huge sums of money for the purchase of Laboratory equipment and books for the University Library. In addition to the provision of official vehicles to all Principal Officers of the University, and Deans of Faculties, Dr. Odili also built a befitting Law Faculty building which has been described by the National Universities Commission as a magnificent edifice and the best in any Nigerian University. The Governor has also tarred the major roads within the Campus.

 

As the school conferred degrees, Diplomas, and Certificates on about 3,810 graduates during its 18th convocation ceremony held on Saturday 16th April, 2005 it could be proudly said that the University under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Simeon Achinewhu, stands tall and continues to maintain its uniqueness and leadership position in the Nigerian Educational Sector as a Centre of Excellences and Creativity.

 

Modest Achievement and Contributions of the Incumbent Management 

Since his assumption of office as the Vice-Chancellor of this premier Technological University, Professor Achinewhu has done a lot to improve the university. To encourage scholarship, Teaching and learning, he made sure that various committees met as and when due to implemented their recommendations and decisions. Out of the 37 professors so far produced by the university, 13 of them were promoted during his tenure. They include:

 

(1)        Prof. Boma Oruwari                 -                       Agriculture

(2)        Prof. E. n. Wekhe                   -                       Engineering

(3)        Prof. S. n. Wikhe                    -                       Agriculture

(4)        Prof. Macson J. Ahiakwo         -                       Education

(5)        Prof. (Mrs.) M. O. Oruwari      -                       Environmental Science

(6)        Prof. B. A. Onuegbu                 -                       Agriculture

(7)        Prof. .B. A. Okwakpam           -                       Biological Science

(8)        Prof. V. O. T. Omuaru -                       Chemistry

(9)        Prof. (Mrs.) W. J. Georgewill   -                       Education

(10)      Prof. J. F. Alfred-Ockiya          -                       Agriculture

(11)      Prof. S. D. Abbey                    -                       Med. Lab Science

(12)      Prof. E. E. Opuwaribo              -                       Agriculture

(13)      Prof. Wey Amaewhule  -                       Education

 

Many more are being assessed for promotion including non-academic staff. Infact, the era of arrears of promotion has disappeared from RSUST.

 

Presentation of Inaugural/Public Lectures  

Professor Achi  newhu has revived the traditional culture of public lecture presentation in the university. In UST today, it has been make compulsory that all professors must present inaugural lectures according to seniority. Although younger professors who are ready to present their inaugural lectures are allowed to do so. So far, the following professors presented their professorial inaugural lectures during his tenure.

 

They include:

Prof. (Mrs.) Mildred A. Amakiriv - “Microbes: Moving the world forward in

the new Millennium”

29th November, 2000

 

Prof. N. O. Isirimah:     - “Nitrogen: Vital Element for sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Quality”

28th March, 2001

 

Prof. T. M. Oguara: -   “Pavement Maintenance Management Systems: The pragmatic decision-making tools for Highway Engineers”

August 8, 2001

 

Prof. M. S. Igbon: - “Window into the Anatomy of Dynamics of Poverty  among the neglected rural majority of Rivers State, Nigeria”

                        December 12, 2001

 

Prof. T. A. T. Wahua – “Traditional farming Systems: Bedrock of National Development in Africa”

                        July 3, 2002

 

Prof. S. C. Teme – “Rock, Soils and Water: Their impacts on man in space and time”

                        April 3, 2002

 

Prof. (Mrs.) O. C. Tawari – “Developing a total quality management system for Tertiary Education in Nigeria”

                        December 17, 2002

 

Prof. K. I. Idoniboye – “Optimization: Project Management in a Chemical Super Project  (soap and detergents manufacturing)”

                        July 13, 2004

 

Prof. V. O. T. Omuaru – “Plants and Plant foods in Crisis: A Biotechnological Reuse”

                        November 23, 2004

 

Prof. B. A. Onuegbu – “Plants and Plant Foods in Crisis: A Biotechnological Resue”

                        January 26, 2005

 

Other professors have been scheduled and are warming up for the presentation of their professorial inaugural lectures. Over the period, many public lectures have been organize in the university including the mandatory African University day Lectures which holds every year. These are aimed at sensitizing staff and students of the university towards the attainment of  academic excellence. 

 

Staff Training – In order to enhance the academic standard of staff, about 20 staff of the

university have been sent abroad last year undergoing various Masters and Ph.D programmes in Britain under the HIPACT progamme heing sponsored by the Rivers State government under the dynamic leadership of Sir Dr. Peter Odili. Of this number, 5 are are undergoing the Ph.D programmes while 15 are doing their masters in various fields of human endeavour.

 

The university has also commenced computer training for its staff with the sole aim of making all staff computer literate. This is being undertaken at the Information Technology Centre of the university.        Other staff of the university who are undergoing Part-time degree progammes in the university are also being encouraged by the university

subsiding their fees by 50%. So far more than 150 staff have benefited from this gesture.

 

Workshops/Conferences – Staff are encouraged to attend workshops and seminars as the university pays their workshop and conference fees to enable them attend such workshop/conferences/seminars.

 

Staff Discipline - In order to ensure staff discipline and Academic excellence, the University has since the year 200, banned the sale of handouts and the sale of  grades. In 2003, some staff who were involved in admission malpractice were dismissed from the services of the university as a deterrent to others. About 10 staff have either been suspended or dismissed for alleged flouting of the order of no compulsory sale of handouts or grades, and more of this are being investigated for the same offense.

 

Student Discipline – Due to the outrageous rate of certificate forgery in our nationstertiary institutions, on assumption of office in October 2000, professor Achinewhu ordered the re-verification of all students SSCE certificates from 1991. So far more than 2000 students who gained admission into the university with forged certificates have been expelled and de-registered. These were widely published in the dailies. This has remained a continuous exercise. The university last year introduced on-line registration for fresh students and this has reduced the practice of certificate forgery in the university to the barest minimum.

 

Cultism – The rate of cultism and gansterism arising from the political situation in the country became another bane of the university campuses nation wide. But we are proud to state that this has since the past one year been reduced to its barest minimum. About 25 of student cultists renounced their membership publicly in the chapel of redemption of the university on 2004. The university has also expelled and suspended more than 300 students for cult related activities.

 

Accreditation of Academic Programmes – The effectiveness of a university to perform its functions as outlined in its objectives is assessed by set criteria prescribed by the National Universities Commission (NUC), professorial bodies, and the general public. The quality of a university is determined by the quality of its products and staff in terms of its graduates, quality of research output, teaching effectiveness and service to the community.

 

It is on record that all the programmes denied accreditation by the national universities commission in 200 have been upgraded to interim status. This was due mainly to the massive financial support given to the university by Sir Dr. Peter Odili, the Executive Governor of the state and visitor to the university. Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) visited the university in December 2003 and had given full accreditation to all programmes in Engineering except Computer Engineering which go interim accreditation. Professional bodies had also visited the programmes in Accountancy and Estate Management and the university got very favourable reports. We are proud to say that at the moment, no programme is denied accreditation in UST.

 

In the recently concluded ranking of Nigerian Universities by NUC, for 2004, the Rivers State University of Science and Technology was ranked 8th in research output and 7th in Ph.D graduate output for the year 2004 amongst sixty two Nigerian Universities. This is a measure not only of the quality of research and Postgraduate output but also of the quality of staff of the Rivers State University of Science and Technology. The university is indeed laying emphasis in the development of quality postgraduate studies. The university is indeed doing very well and is still taking its lead in Science and Technology and in other areas of human endeavour.

 

In 25 years of its existence, many of our products are in the Rivers State Cabinet. They form half the State Assembly, they are at the National Assembly (Senate and House of Reps.), in NDDC, in the oil and allied companies, and other private and public sectors at home and abroad, at the United Nations organizations etc.

 

Our law students participated in the national moot court competition and won both at the High and court of Appeal. Two of our law students attended the 13th African Human Rights moot court competition at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tazania from 2 – 7 August 2004. Because of the excellent performance of the university, the national universities commission has twice given and award of Excellence to the Vice Chancellor professor Achinewhu, one in 2003 and the other in 2004.

 

IT Master Plan 

Through the commitment of the 8th governing council, the university has developed an Information Technology (IT) master plan aimed at ensuring computer literacy for students, staff, management and the entire university community.

 

This system will enable members of the university community to benefit from a campus-wide Information Technology Network that will propel it to work in multi-collaborative sectors. It will as well provide qualitative science to the university community, the state, facilitate the academic and administrative task of  the university enhance quality, scope and complexity of research. At the moment, the Bursary department and the Registry have been computerized.

 

Infrastructural Development

The university can today boast of the following additional edifies in the campus.

(1)               The Faculty of Law building – For this we thank His Excellency, Sir Dr. Peter Odili the Executive Governor of Rivers State who has committed Millions of Naira into this project. The first phase of this has been completed and is rated the best faculty of law building in the country.

(2)               The Postgraduate School – The university can now boast of a new and modern postgraduate school building housing offices, conference and lecture/seminar rooms and tw2o-lecture theatres/auditorium and 500 capacity built by the Education Tax Found of the Federal government.

(3)               The Central University Library – The university has now moved to a new library complex which is now operated and fitted with all modern gadgets and internet facility. It also has a standby generator. NUC has also rated the Library as the second best in the country.

(4)               Charkin building (Marine Engineering). Block of four classrooms, two lecture theatres of 1000 capacity each.

(5)               Quantity surveying – This was constructed by management.

(6)               T. Y. Danjuma Internet Centre Building – Constructed by Danelec Limited, and in Port Harcourt.

-         Department of Business Education Building – This was constructed by the Rivers State Government.

-         500 capacity classroom building under construction through internally generated funds.

-         Computer Engineering Lab – The computer engineering laboratory has been fully refurbished by SPDC with internet access. Chief Ebitimi Banigo of All States Trust Bank has also completed the refurbishing of computer science laboratory with twenty computers and accessories with internet access.

-         Computerizations, the Vice Chancellor has been able to attract attention to the university. For instance, the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas (NLNG) LIMITED DONATED FOUR COMPUTERS AND THE Alumni Association of this university (Port Harcourt branch), also donated four computers with accessories to this university to computerize the exams and records section of the Registry.

 

An Astronomical Telescope, (the first of its kind in any Nigerian university) was donated to the university by the national Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Mitaka Tokgo in 2003. The Telescope can be used to view and study the lunar surface, planets and nearby stars. It could also serve as a territorial Telescope to locate distant objects within the environment.

 

Research Activities

The university is deeply involved with oil companies and communities in the identification of renewable raw material resources, production processing and marketing of end products. The university has conducted studies for cassava and raffia palm which led to the construction of Nigerian Agip Oil Company of industrial alcohol production at Olugbobiri in Bayelsa State. The university has also processed table coffee from abundant coffee seed harvested from coffee plants that grew at Angiama, Bayelsa state. We are sourcing for equipment to process it further into refined instant coffee. The processed product is a value added to coffee production and if industrialized will crate employment for the youths in the production, marketing, processing of the finished products.

 

The university has also perfected the production of livestock feeds with the brand name UST feeds. We have also developed broiler growth promoters that can bring broiler into market in seven weeks. We have developed UST odourless instant foo-foo-flour from cassava and UST high quality plantain flour. We also have UST bread made with composite flour from Barnbara groundnut and fluted pumpkin seeds and we produce fresh water fish fingerlings in concrete tanks.

 

The university has also developed a universal dryer used to dry any product. The energy zone could be solar, wood, kerosene stove, electric heater, diesel, petrol or gas. The university has developed a small-to-medium-scale palm oil mill made of the Macerator (digester) screw press, cage separator, scarifier clarifier. The university has also designed, fabricated and tested and official solar chick brooder.

 

Through internally generated founds, the university has provided computers in all the departments, units and centres for students and administrative purposes. Almost all the offices in the university have been furnished and provided with Air conditioners.

 

Due to regular maintenance of facilities, the university now enjoys regular water supply and electricity and there has been no student protests and rampage arising from lack of provision of essential amenities in the university.

 

A university any where in the world performs three major functions of teaching, research and service. At 25, we are satisfied that the Rivers State University of Science and Technology is performing its traditional functions and even more. We are glad to state that the objectives of the founding fathers of this uncommon university have been fulfilled. Our youths no longer run to distant universities to seek the Golden Fleece.