By Marie-Therese Nanlong

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Sebastian Maimako has tasked his would be successor to brace up to the challenges of running the institution in a transparent manner, take the security and welfare of staff, students serious, ensure staff training as well as improve on ICT and physical development in the institution.

It would be recalled that the tenure of Professor Maimako is ending in a few weeks and 18 aspirants showed interest to succeed him but the list was trimmed to 13 candidates comprising of 12 males and one female Professors from within and outside the institution.

He gave the charge on Thursday at an interactive session with candidates vying for the position of the VC organized by the institution’s Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU in collaboration with the institution’s Advancement Office to hear the plans the candidates have for the institution, its workforce and students.

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Represented by the Director, non-NUC programmes, Professor John Adeyongo, the outgoing VC urged the successful candidate to note that universities rely on ASUU for funding and tasked the candidate to ensure that even though everything can’t be done in one tenure, but “training, welfare of staff and students, physical development, ICT improvement, security of staff and students among others have to be looked into.”

He reminded that IPPIS does not capture contract staff hence the need to generate funds to pay them because they are very useful to the system.

However, ASUU’s Zonal Coordinator, Bauchi zone, Professor Lawan Abubakar and the Chairperson of the University of Jos chapter of the Association, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro tasked the next Vice Chancellor of the institution to see the Union as partners as whatever demands the Union is making is according to laid down procedures and the good of university education.

The duo lamented the obvious victimization of some of their members who are being owed between 10 to 11 months salaries among other forms of denials.

Abubakar said that ASUU does not confront but sees universities administrators as partners because, “we need each other to succeed”, ASUU needs administrators that do the right thing and make ASUU struggles easy. “Any VC antagonizing ASUU has something to hide, criminals are being saluted and given chieftaincy titles but ASUU is vilified for seeking the good of university education.

He advised that being in the VCship position is not a tea party, with IPPIS, personnel, overhead and capital funds are not given, you pay to know what is allocated to you and myriads of problems are waiting to be solved hence the need for the successful candidate to brace up to tackle issues as they arise.

His counterpart, Maigoro added, “What we request is that you should be truthful to yourself and do what you say you will do. No university in this country can survive without ASUU as a union, we want transparency in the disbursement of funds. Some of our colleagues are not being paid salaries for 10 to 11 months, they are being victimized. N8m is deducted from us but what is remitted is very meager we can’t even support our colleagues. Whoever gets it must not see the union as an enemy because ASUU will not ask you to do something outside the laid down procedures.”

Panelists for the interactive session were led by Professor Sati Fwatshak of the institution.