The Vice-chancellor of the Abia State University, Uturu, Professor Onyemachi Ogbulu, has said alumni associations should engage the Nigerian government on policies that relate to education.
The VC, represented by a professor of Zoology, Abia State University, Solomon Umeham, disclosed this at the seminar of the Abia State University Legends Alumni Association, Lagos Chapter, themed “Role of Alumni Associations in Nigeria’s Education System.”
He said, “The alumni associations should seriously be looking at ways to engage government on policies that relate to education. For instance, during the long Academic Staff Union of Universities/Federal Government impasse, not much was heard of our alumni associations, even in their universities.
“They could engage both parties on ways of finding a lasting solution to the protracted industrial action that paralysed the education system. As the conflict gathers momentum again, not many have spoken up jointly or individually despite the high positions most of us occupy.
“The alumni associations should also move to have representations in the various senates of the universities so that they can monitor policies and contribute ideas towards academic development of their alma mater.
Ogbulu noted that top-rated universities in the world maintained their excellence largely because of the support of their alumni associations.
He said, “It is a known fact that top-rated universities all over the world maintain their excellence largely because of the support and contributions of their alumni associations. Hence, the role of alumni associations in Nigeria’s educational system cannot be overemphasised.”
The Executive Director, Zenith Bank, Adobi Nwapa, stated that the government should eject more funding to universities, adding that alumni associations needed to give the support they could.
She said, “The government should eject more funding to universities in Nigeria. No one is happy with what is happening today but that is why the role of the alumni is very important. There is so little the alumni can do but we have to start from somewhere.
“No one individual or association can handle it but we have to begin to do something. In Nigeria, we don’t see a lot of support from alumni but outside the country, there’s a lot of support coming from alumni.”
The President-General, Abia State University Legends Association, Emenike Agu, added that alumni associations could help the institutions grow as government could not do it all.
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