By Chidi Nkwopara

OWERRI—Palpable anxiety has gripped the management, staff and students of Imo State University, IMSU, Owerri, following the forthcoming visit of an accreditation team from the National Universities Commission, NUC.

Vanguard investigations revealed that the fears being expressed ahead of the visit may not be unfounded as no fewer than 10 departments of the institution, including the Faculty of Law, lost accreditation during the team’s last visit.

It was also gathered that all the departments that lost accreditation two years ago are battling to regain their licence, while others are working very hard to retain theirs.

Although a female senior staff of IMSU, who spoke on strict grounds of anonymity, confirmed the palpable fear that has enveloped the institution, she, however, disclosed that serious efforts were on to redress the obvious lapses in the faculties and departments.

She said: “A new edifice has sprung up in the Faculty of Law, which lost its accreditation when the NUC team visited the university about two years.

“With the noticeable changes in the Faculty of Law, the visitors may have a change of heart.

“It is a known fact that they lack the needed infrastructure and most the departments hardly find halls for lectures and related academic activities.”

She said some renovations was currently going on in the Faculty of Education, with a view to regaining its accreditation.

A student appealed to Imo State government and IMSU management to ensure that the school regained its lost accreditations, as well as maintain the ones it had.

The student said: “Each time accreditation is lost, the university can neither admit new students nor graduate anybody fit enough to partake in the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC.

“This cannot be a good testimo-nial for IMSU management or the state government.”