Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Aftermath of FU OTUOKE MATRICULATION {Re: The Matriculation Speech by VC Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, and the University Anthem}

Dear Professor Aluko,

A hearty congratulations to you on all your achievements and pioneering efforts in the field of education back home. We left behind here are incredibly proud of you. May your hard work continue to bear fruit in the name of all our kids! *applause*

- Ikhide

On Feb 21, 2013, at 9:26 PM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:

> Enyimba himself:
>
> Thanks for your inquiry.
>
> There are now a total of 19 federal universities in the North and 17
> in the South to match the number of states - one per state. These last
> 9 + 3 universities were in the last 5 Southern and 7 Northern states
> that had no prior federal university presence.
>
> And there you have it.
>
>
>
> Bolaji Aluko
>
> On 2/22/13, Enyimba Himself <enyimba1ofaba@aol.com> wrote:
>> Prof. Aluko:
>> Thank you for this information. My question now which has nothing to do
>> with Otuoke is,
>> why do we have 7 Federal Universities in the Northern Nigeria, supported
>> with the oil
>> money from the South and only 5 Federal Universities in South?
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Enyimba Himself
>> enyimba1ofaba@aol.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: K. Gozie Ifesinachukwu <kgifesi@austin.rr.com>
>> To: usaafricadialogue <usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com>
>> Sent: Thu, Feb 21, 2013 3:38 pm
>> Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Aftermath of FU OTUOKE
>> MATRICULATION {Re: The Matriculation Speech by VC Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, and
>> the University Anthem}
>>
>>
>> Prof. B. Aluko,
>> I wish you and your loved ones the very best and may the Devine protection
>> and guide you always. I will contribute to FUO. I pray that yours will be a
>> center of excellence in university scholarship in Nigeria/Africa.
>>
>>
>> Good luck and best wishes,
>> K. Gozie Ifesinachukwu
>>
>> On Feb 21, 2013, at 12:58 AM, Mobolaji Aluko <alukome@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> February 21, 2013
>>
>>
>> Dear Compatriots:
>>
>>
>> Good day, everyone!
>>
>>
>> Ever since I posted the VC's Matriculation speech at FU Otuoke a few days
>> ago, there has been an overwhelming expression of support, encouragement and
>> congratulations on this small matriculation step that we took towards a
>> "big" institution that we wish the university to be. Except for one or two
>> knuckleheads and caterwaulers and nattering nabobs of naysayers, as well as
>> flotsam and jetsam of the chattering class, most criticisms have been
>> understandably philosophical rather than personal, and one has to take them
>> in stride as being in good faith.
>>
>>
>> I now wish to make a number of clarifications all at once so that I don't
>> spend the rest of the week, month or semester responding.
>>
>>
>> 1. On the issue of the out-datedness of Matriculations.
>>
>> This was briefly raised by a couple of individuals, with a few digs by some
>> others about the "raggideness" of the funny-looking academic gowns! :-)
>>
>>
>> First, let me confess that I like the grandeur of academic ceremonies. So,
>> if there is some outdated but harmless ceremony out there that suits my
>> fancy - and I have the power to bring it back - you might just see it at
>> Otuoke! I think that such grand ceremonies leave an impression on young
>> minds that remind them that they are in a special - and the highest -
>> citadel of human learning that is called a university. In any case, the
>> typical student get to wear an academic gown only twice in their
>> undergraduate university life - at matriculation in their first year and at
>> graduation four or five or six years later - If they do graduate school,
>> maybe once or twice more, so what is the big deal here? In Oxford or
>> Cambridge, where it once sartorial requirement to don gowns before seeing
>> your professor, that tradition has been done away with.
>>
>>
>> As to raggidness - beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The students,
>> their parents - and spectators - loved the academic gown, particularly as a
>> presage to graduation some years down the road! Imagine some of the people
>> at Otuoke, some visiting child at Otuoba, Otuokpoti or Ewhoi nearby, who
>> had NEVER seen such a spectacle....it leaves an impression. We chose a
>> Saturday - rather than the traditional week-day of most Nigerian
>> universities - precisely to let as many people as possible attend. That is
>> the tradition that we will maintain in future years - at least while I am VC
>> - in addition to the pinning ceremony, which is a 150-year-old nursing
>> graduates tradition which I brought over from Howard University where it was
>> instituted for freshmen only about a decade ago by a NEW President and alum
>> (President Patrick Swygert)..
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2. On 282 students reporting to class out of 292 paying, 415 (not 465)
>> admitted, and 11,000 applicants.
>>
>>
>> Let me explain this carefully. NUC rules are that any new university in
>> Nigeria CANNOT have more than 500 students in its first year of existence,
>> and that it must house as many of such students as possible. Early on in
>> the preparatory life of our 9 new universities, in early 2011, we decided
>> that it would be best to actually limit ourselves to 200-300, and we at
>> Otuoke decided to have a 300 student intake - 60% Science and 40%
>> Humanities. Experience from other universities was that to get 300 intake,
>> you should admit 350-400 students - attrition due to a student choosing to
>> go to another university or even polytechnic or college of education into
>> which they were admitted (UTME allows a particular student 1st and 2nd
>> choice at each of these levels, totalling 6 choices), students not passing
>> English and/or Math in NECO or WAEC (many students take UTME while awaiting
>> results), etc.
>>
>>
>> So we at Otuoke chose first to admit 365 students, and after 50
>> supplementary students, we chose a total of 415 students. It was these 415
>> students that resulted in the 292 students who PAID N50,000 to be at the
>> university, and eventually 10 of them chose to lose this total fee to
>> explore their fortunes in other universities. [By the way, we have admitted
>> 502 new students for the next cohorts, and maybe another 350 to 400 will be
>> on campus on or before September.]
>>
>>
>> So the whole point of the above explanation is that the number "282
>> students" has NOTHING to do with the remoteness or otherwise of Otuoke, In
>> fact, when you realise that we had given these admissions in June/August
>> 2011, that we were still able to hold on to them in October 2012 when we
>> started classses till now is a testament of the students' resilience.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 3. On the comment of "infinite wisdom" of President Goodluck Jonathan in
>> setting up 9 universities, including one in his home-town of Otuoke.
>>
>>
>> "Infinite wisdom" is a hyperbolic double-entendre figure of speech, and any
>> critic of that describe of the Otuoke Number 1 citizen (maybe No. 2 after
>> the Obanema) as professorial bootlicking on my part is simply jejunely
>> gauche. But any man who sets up nine universities all at once and using
>> executive privilege "hides" one in public view in his home-town, while
>> allowing almost all of the other governors to choose the others in or near
>> their home-towns - except the one for Ekiti State that ended up in
>> controversy - is quite a wise man. I ain't going to take that away from
>> him.
>>
>>
>> And why not Otuoke? I invite people to come to Otuoke - as many did over the
>> week-end - and you will find 25 kilometers of quite good road between the
>> Bayelsa State Capital of Yenagoa and Otuoke. It is no more remote than
>> Nsukka was or is, nor some university towns in Montana, Arkansas or
>> elsewhere in the United States.
>>
>>
>> By the way, the president has announced three more universities and their
>> top two officials (Vice-Chancellor, Registrar) in Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara
>> to complete the cycle of one federal university per state:
>>
>>
>> QUOTE
>>
>>
>> http://premiumtimesng.com/news/121127-jonathan-approves-appointment-of-vcs-registrars-for-new-nigerian-universities.html
>>
>>
>>
>> Jonathan approves appointment of VCs, registrars for new Nigerian
>> universities
>> Premium Times
>> Published: February 19,2013
>>
>>
>> The three new universities are in Kebbi, Yobe and Zamfara.
>>
>>
>> President Goodluck Jonathan has approved the appointment of vice-chancellors
>> and registrars for the three newly established federal universities, the
>> Minister of Education, Ruqayyatu Rufa'i, said in a statement.
>>
>>
>> The statement, signed by MacJohn Nwaobiala, the Permanent Secretary in the
>> Ministry , said the vice-chancellors were for the universities in Kebbi,
>> Yobe and Zamfara States.
>>
>>
>> The first meeting, in 2013, of the Federal Executive Council on January 6
>> approved the three new universities in states where none existed.
>>
>>
>> The vice-chancellors are Professor Shehu AbdulRahman, Federal University,
>> Gashua, Yobe; Professor Lawal Bilbis, Federal University Birnin Kebbi; and
>> Professor Ben Okeke, Federal University, Gusau.
>>
>>
>> The minister said that the president also approved the appointment of
>> Professor Isaac Asuzu as replacement for Professor Chinedu Nebo as Vice
>> Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti.
>>
>>
>> Mr. Nebo is currently the Minister of Power.
>>
>>
>> The statement named the registrars as Sule Dauda, Federal University,
>> Gashua, Yobe; Ibrahim Mungadi, Federal University Birnin Kebbi; and Ibrahim
>> Kauram, Federal University, Gusau.
>>
>>
>> Ms. Rufa'i said that the choice and appointment of the new vice-chancellors
>> and registrars followed laid down rules.
>>
>>
>> She directed the vice chancellors and registrars to report for briefings at
>> 10 a.m. on Friday at the Minister's Conference room.
>>
>>
>> All appointments take immediate effect.
>>
>>
>>
>> UNQUOTE
>>
>>
>> And here are where they are now all located:
>>
>>
>>
>> Copyright
>> (NM!)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 4. On why more universities
>>
>>
>> Why not? The President set these up as new exemplars for "equity, access,
>> quality, regional focus and Diaspora leadership input" - and I support that
>> vision, including extending the vision and greater financial and moral
>> support to the OTHER existing universities. We can walk and chew at the
>> same time.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 5. Finally....On Fundraising and More Financial Information on FU Otuoke
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> I remember that the last time I put a begging cap out for the university,
>> some compatriots pooh-poohed the idea. I choose to brush those aside...
>>
>>
>>
>> Moving on....
>>
>>
>> We have an Office of Institutional Advancement - led by former Diasporan Dr.
>> Septribo Lawson-Jack - that is planning a round of major fundraising events
>> in Abuja, Lagos and Otuoke later on this year. I will be suggesting that
>> Donors be called "Friends of FUO" - or "Fofs" or "Furfs." I invite
>> friends, foes, neutrals and other readers to become early Furfs - and you
>> might get a Furf pin/plaque/ if your donation more than pays for one - by
>> sending money to one or more of the following accounts:
>>
>>
>>
>> TABLE 1: DONATION ACCOUNTS FOR FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> S/N
>>
>>
>>
>> DENOMINATION
>>
>>
>>
>> BANK
>>
>>
>>
>> ACCOUNT #
>>
>>
>>
>> SORT CODE
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1
>>
>>
>>
>> Naira
>>
>>
>>
>> GTB Yenagoa
>>
>>
>>
>> 0119465474
>>
>>
>>
>> 058325410
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2
>>
>>
>>
>> Dollar
>>
>>
>>
>> GTB Yenagoa
>>
>>
>>
>> 0119465467
>>
>>
>>
>> 058325410
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 3
>>
>>
>>
>> British Pound
>>
>>
>>
>> GTB Yenagoa
>>
>>
>>
>> 0119466079
>>
>>
>>
>> 058325410
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 4
>>
>>
>>
>> Euro
>>
>>
>>
>> GTB Yenagoa
>>
>>
>>
>> 0119466086
>>
>>
>>
>> 058325410
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Please note that the sort codes are the same because the Bank Branches are
>> the same, and that save for some administrative costs, all your money will
>> be used right. Remember to send the details of your donation (Name,
>> address, phone number, email, date of donation, amount of donation, any
>> details including proof of donation) to Donations@fuotuoke.edu.ng so that
>> you can be properly acknowledged.
>>
>>
>>
>> By the way, in case you are asking what the table of what various funding
>> agencies are assisting the university is set forth in the following table.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> TABLE 2: ONGOING CAPITALPROJECTS AT FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> S/N
>>
>>
>>
>> FUNDING AGENCY
>>
>>
>>
>> DESCRIPTION
>>
>>
>>
>> AMOUNT (NAIRA)
>>
>> (approximate)
>>
>>
>>
>> PERIOD
>>
>>
>>
>> COMMENT
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1
>>
>>
>>
>> TeTFund Projects
>>
>>
>>
>> Miscellaneous procurements, renovations and constructions on campus
>>
>>
>>
>> N1.5 billion
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2011 Intervention
>>
>>
>>
>> 2013 Intervention
>>
>> Should be
>>
>> Announced in March or April 2013
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2
>>
>>
>>
>> Ecological Fund
>>
>>
>>
>> Provision of 1.6 million cubic meters of sand
>>
>>
>>
>> N5 billion
>>
>>
>>
>> 2011 Intervention
>>
>>
>>
>> An absolute life-saver – sand is gold in the construction industry in the
>> Niger-Delta
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 3
>>
>>
>>
>> NDDC
>>
>>
>>
>> Design and construction of Internal Road Networks, and Building of 500-bed
>> hostel
>>
>>
>>
>> N6 billion
>>
>>
>>
>> 2013 Calendar Year Intervention
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 4
>>
>>
>>
>> Federal Ministry of Education/NUC
>>
>>
>>
>> New Construction of of (i) Library (ii) ICT Center (iii) Central
>> Administration Building (iv) Faculty Buildings
>>
>>
>>
>> N2 billion
>>
>>
>>
>> 2013 calendar year
>>
>>
>>
>> The constructions will start in March, and hope to be completed by the end
>> of the year. We have been meeting all consultants and contractors already.
>> Two 500-bed hostels are also in the offing .
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 5
>>
>>
>>
>> Bayelsa State Government
>>
>>
>>
>> Completion of 10 bungalows (each two wings of three bedroom apartments) of
>> Staff Quarters
>>
>>
>>
>> ~N200 million
>>
>>
>>
>> 2013 calendar year
>>
>>
>>
>> These were previously abandoned buildings that are now being taken on by
>> the Seriake Dickson government
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Please also note that our FUO's Federal Budget is not huge (you can divide
>> by 160 yourselves to get the dollar equivalents), so we can indeed use more
>> discretionary money. but the VC intend to cut the university's coats
>> according to its overall financial resources. (We don't have much IGR yet.)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> TABLE 3: FEDERAL BUDGET FIGURESFOR FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE (2011 -2013)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> S/N
>>
>>
>>
>> ITEM
>>
>>
>>
>> 2011
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2012
>>
>> (approved)
>>
>> Naira
>>
>>
>>
>> 2012
>>
>> (released)
>>
>> Naira
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2013
>>
>> (proposed)
>>
>> Naira
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1
>>
>>
>>
>> Personnel
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 694,382,745
>>
>>
>>
>> 579,154,591.57
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 915,120,655
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> (i) Consolidated
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 575,648,807
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 792,708,815
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> (ii) Allowances & Social Contributions
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 118,733,938
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 122,411,840
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> (a) Non-Regular Allowances
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 46,717,654
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 23,323,238
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> (b) NHIS
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 28,806,514
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 39,635,441
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> (c) Contributory Pension
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 43,209,770
>>
>>
>>
>> -
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 59,453,161
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 2
>>
>>
>>
>> Overhead
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 97,222,222
>>
>>
>>
>> 91,807,036.54
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 93,126,805
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 3
>>
>>
>>
>> Capital
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 277,777,778
>>
>>
>>
>> 159,935,904.00
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 333,077,777
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Total
>>
>>
>>
>> n.a.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1,069,382,745
>>
>>
>>
>> 830,897,532.11
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> 1,341,325,237
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> And there you have it,,,let me end there for now...
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Bolaji Aluko
>> Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Otuoke
>> vc@fuotuoke.edu.ng, alukome@fuotuoke.edu.ng, alukome@gmail.com
>> General university email: fuo@fuotuoke.edu.ng
>>
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Prof. JD Amin (VC FU Dutse), Prof. Mohammed Farouk (VC FU Kashere), Prof.
>> Mobolaji Aluko (VC FU Otuoke),
>>
>> Prof. Julius Okojie, (NUC Executive Secretary), Prof. Allison Ogoru (SSG,
>> Bayelsa State), Prof. Ruqayyatu Rufai (Federal Minister of Education) on the
>> Maiden Matriculation procession of Federal University Otuoke (February 16,
>> 2013)
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Undergraduate Students of FU Otuoke taking the University's Matriculation
>> Oath
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE
>>
>> MATRICULATION ADDRESS
>>
>> BY
>>
>> Professor Mobolaji Ebenezer Aluko
>> Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Otuoke
>> February 16, 2013
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Your Excellency, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr.
>> Goodluck Ebele Jonathan GCFR, ably represented by the Federal Minister of
>> Education, Prof. Ruqayyatu Ahmed Rufai OON; the Governor of the State of
>> Bayelsa, Hon. Henry Seriake Dickson, ably represented by Prof. Allison
>> Ogoru, Secretary to the State Government, Bayelsa State, the First Lady of
>> the Nigeria, Dame Patience Jonathan, represented by the First Lady of
>> Bayelsa State; the Executive Secretary of the National Universities
>> Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie; the Federal, State and Local Government
>> Legislators here present, Our Fathers and Mothers Temporal and Spiritual
>> here present, in particular the Obanema of this great community ofOtuoke,
>> HRH Lot Justin Ogiasa, Oke X, as well as the visiting king of my hometown
>> of Ode-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Adara Aderiye; my Diaspora colleague
>> Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mohammed Farouk of Federal University Kashere (Gombe
>> State), another new university Vice-Chancellor Prof. J.D. Amin from Federal
>> University Dutse (Jigawa State), Registrar Mr. Jalingo from the sister
>> Federal University Wukari (TarabaState), also representing the Wukari
>> Vice-Chancellor fellow Diasporan Prof. Geoffrey Okogbaa, the staff of our
>> great University, the Matriculating Students of the Federal University
>> Otuoke, their parents and other family members and friends, distinguished
>> members of the Media, my mother Mrs. Joyce Anomoghan Aluko, who is present
>> with us here today, my wife Oluremi and children Seye, Moyo, Toni, Jumoke
>> and Sope all of who are otherwise engaged in far-away USA and cannot be
>> present with us today, and have to bear my being away; members of the
>> university's Academic Brief team who laid the academic foundations of this
>> university, ladies and gentlemen. I say, Welcome to our neat and friendly
>> town of Otuoke, the only town in the world in which the home of the
>> President of the Nation; its one and only primary school; its one and only
>> junior secondary school; its one and only senior secondary school and this
>> one and only new federal university of ours are all on the same street, and
>> on the same side of the street!
>>
>> Alua o, nua o,do oh, ekaabo, welcome!
>>
>> I do not intend to make a long speech but it gives me great pleasure as the
>> Pioneer Vice-Chancellor to address you on this Sixteenth Day of February,
>> 2013, on this momentous occasion of the Maiden Matriculation Ceremony of our
>> university. You may be aware that we were slated to hold this event back in
>> October 2012, when the 282 students who you see to my right here started an
>> orientation week that was to culminate in a Matriculation Ceremony.
>> However, the great floods of 2012 intervened,and caused first a two-month
>> hiatus from orientation/class related activities, followed by a period to
>> restore our campus after acting as a refuge for flood victims from the
>> Otuoke community during the period. Ironically, it was this same
>> flood-victimized Otuoke community that had tasked itself for the past two
>> years now to both contribute and raise money to build from ground up all of
>> the main blue-roofed structures that your eyes can see on these grounds, on
>> just 15 hectares out of a 200-hectare lot also donated by the community
>> This magnanimity was rewarded with federal government money through the
>> Tertiary Education Trust Fund to upgrade the innards and externalities of
>> three of the eight buildings in order for the university to commence
>> academic activities in the shortest possible time.
>>
>> So I first ask that you join me in thanking our major benefactors – the
>> Otuoke Community and the Federal Government of Nigeria, and especially His
>> Excellency the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Ebele
>> Goodluck Jonathan, GCFR, who in his infinite wisdom ensured that this was
>> one of the nine universities set up in 2011 in consonance with his
>> Transformation Agenda effort of ensuring equity, greater access, quality,
>> regional focus and direct Diaspora leadership input in tertiary education in
>> the country. We also thank the State Government of Bayelsa for its financial
>> contributions to the university so far, for carrying out the geographical
>> survey of the land of the university and ensuring its gazetted turning-over
>> to the federal government. In addition, the Bayelsa State Government is
>> undertaking the ongoing building of ten blocks of staff quarters, each block
>> of two three-bedroom flats (which you see with red roofs to our right).
>>
>> The 282 pioneering students whose day it is today are drawn from a pool of
>> about 11,000 applicants from 22 states, of which 415 were given admission,
>> 292 paid their full fees, and out of which 282 eventually reported for
>> classes, and remained continuously reporting five weeks into the start of
>> the semester. The 282 students comprise 97 females and 185 males drawn from
>> 19 states of the federation – that is all of the 17 Southern zonal States
>> and 2 states (Benue and Kogi) of the Northern zonal states. 142 of them are
>> in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (with two departments and
>> six programs), and 140 of them are in the Faculty of Science and Engineering
>> (with three departments of six programs), the only two Faculties that we
>> have at this time. The students are enrolled in twelve programs across the
>> two faculties and five departments: English and Communication Studies,
>> History and International Relations; Accounting and Finance, Economics and
>> Development, Sociology and Anthropology, Political Science and Strategic
>> Studies (all in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences), as well as
>> Biochemistry, Microbiology, Chemistry, Mathematics with Statistics, Computer
>> Science and Informatics, and Physics with Electronics/Power, all in the
>> Faculty of Science & Engineering. 89 of the 97 females have University
>> residence, while 103 of the 185 male students have chosen university
>> residence. By JAMB/UTME/Universities rules of 2011 admission, all the 282
>> students scored the university admission minimum of 180 out of 400 in their
>> UTME exams (of which 219 of them - or 78% - scored 200 and above) but were
>> only admitted if they sat for and passed the university's post-UTME exams,
>> in averaged/weighted scores of UTME and PUTME.
>>
>> So secondly, I ask you to join me in thanking their parents and family
>> members who have expressed their confidence in us to be in loco parentis to
>> these their precious wards for the next three, four and hopefully not five
>> years before they graduate.
>>
>> If you were to look closely at the quality of our student intake and staff
>> employed, and the excellence of our facilities - which facilities I invite
>> you to visit after this Matriculation event - what you will find is that
>> what we have begun to create here at Otuoke is a citadel of learning,
>> teaching, research, and community service for the generation, dissemination,
>> preservation and application of knowledge (in consonance with our mission),
>> so that in the shortest possible time, we can gain and maintain a reputation
>> as a world-class university that challenges all its students to achieve the
>> highest levels of intellectual and personal growth, to promote sustainable
>> development, as well as contribute purposeful and ethical service to the
>> nation and Mankind (in consonance with our vision). We intend to be
>> propelled by our core values of learning, integrity, knowledge,excellence
>> and service, and to create an atmosphere of an expensive private university
>> in an inexpensive public educational setting.
>>
>> We intend to learn from the mistakes of our predecessor universities by not
>> growing too fast too quickly, as we ensure that our students and staff sizes
>> do not outstrip (or far outstrip) either our facilities or our financial
>> resources, nor shall we shrink from ensuring quality of student intake or of
>> staff employment or be pressured to reduce the same. Our research focus of
>> oil and gas studies,energy and environment, marine and wetland studies,
>> human dynamics and conflict resolution, and entrepreneurship will guide our
>> applied research and collaborative efforts as a tertiary academy geared
>> towards the socio-economic development of the Niger-Delta and of Nigeria.
>>
>>
>> Modern communications technology in and out of the classroom using best
>> international practices is being deployed. To this end, ALL the academic
>> staff of the university, and all administrative staff up to two levels deep
>> in the VC's Office, Registry, Bursary and Library have been issued laptops.
>> All administrative offices have desktops and printers, and we are waiting
>> for a benefactor listening to us today to provide free laptops to all of our
>> pioneering students! Our aim is to ensure that all of our students have one
>> or more of the following four scholarships: tuition/fees; living expense;
>> books; equipment. In the time being, we have a fully functional ICT
>> laboratory with about 60 computers, a total of 5 Mbps of bandwidth on
>> campus, wireless access in most parts of the campus as well as both
>> fiber-optics and radio links within and across the campus. Our financial
>> (payroll) and library services are automated, and a learning management
>> system (Moodle) is already in place to promote virtual learning and
>> interactivity between students and their instructors. We are proud of our
>> aesthetically-designed and functional website, which is our window to the
>> world, which simple significant lack in prior years in many older
>> universities led to the"invisibility" of many of our Nigerian universities
>> in world rankings.
>>
>> Our classrooms and laboratories are well-appointed, to enable teaching,
>> learning and research in the most conducive environment. We already have in
>> place an Institutional Advancement team to promote the university locally,
>> nationally and internationally, as well as an Assessment and Accreditation
>> unit to ensure that all of our programs are accredited within the shortest
>> possible time before our students graduate. A Skills Acquisition Center
>> which is being built under the Ministry of the Niger-Delta has been turned
>> over to the university, but we anxiously await the completion of all the
>> physical and supporting municipal structures of that project. However,we
>> already have in place an Enterpreneurial and Skills Development Unit (ESDU)
>> to act as catalyst for the university's involvement in those two arenas
>> (Enterpreneurship,Skills Acquisition) as a catalyst for our future Faculty
>> of Management Sciences & Business Studies and an arrowhead to community
>> relations.
>>
>> Our central message in all of the above that I have laid out is that the
>> Federal University Otuoke is well on its way to becoming a university of
>> world ranking that all its stakeholders will be proud of. We call on all of
>> you listening to us to partner with us in any way that you can to enable us
>> to achieve our goals together.
>>
>> Without further ado, I once again thank all of you for accepting our
>> invitation to attend this Maiden Matriculation event. To the Matriculating
>> students, I congratulate you very deeply and sincerely, and I wish you to
>> consider yourselves very privileged indeed to be the pioneers of this
>> buddingly-great institution. Remember where you came from, where you
>> are,and what lies ahead of you. Attend your classes, respect yourselves,
>> your lecturers and peers, study hard and shun cultism or occultism, sexual
>> misbehavior, exam cheating and other nefarious activities. If you aim high
>> and fear God, no righteous ambition that you have will ever escape you.
>>
>> With those words of advice and encouragement to our celebrants of the day, I
>> end this very, very short speech.
>>
>> Great Otuoke!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> __________________________________________________________________________________________
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> THE UNIVERSITY ANTHEM
>>
>>
>>
>> At the Matriculation ceremony, the lyrics and music of the University Anthem
>> (see below) were unveiled and song by a soloist, and students placed on each
>> other a pin with the insignia "Pioneer Student 2011." The anthem's lyricist
>> is Mr. Wari-Senibo Alfred Adonye Allison and music was composed by Mr. Bara
>> Igoniwari-Brown.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "GREAT OTUOKE" UNIVERSITY ANTHEM
>>
>>
>>
>> FIRST STANZA
>>
>> Almighty God, we thank Thee
>> For our great Otuoke Varsity
>> Let wisdom and creativity
>> Abound within her walls
>> Learning with humility
>>
>> Commune throughout her halls
>>
>>
>>
>> CHORUS
>>
>> Gold, green, blue, and black
>> F-U-O shall never look back
>> Excellence shall be her goal
>> Knowledge and Service her vital soul
>>
>> Otuoke! Otuoke! Long Live Otuoke!
>>
>> Otuoke! Otuoke! Long Live Otuoke!
>>
>> SECOND STANZA
>>
>> O' let F-U-O rise to fame
>> And her efforts never end in shame
>> Let Integrity shape her name
>> To duty we are called
>> Staff and students bear her flame
>> To all parts of the world
>>
>>
>>
>> CHORUS
>>
>> Gold, green, blue, and black
>> F-U-O shall never look back
>> Excellence shall be her goal
>> Knowledge and Service her vital soul
>>
>> Otuoke! Otuoke! Long Live Otuoke!
>>
>> Otuoke! Otuoke! Long Live Otuoke!
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa
>> Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
>> For current archives, visit
>> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
>> For previous archives, visit
>> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
>> To post to this group, send an email to
>> USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
>> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>> ---
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa
>> Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
>> For current archives, visit
>> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
>> For previous archives, visit
>> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
>> To post to this group, send an email to
>> USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
>> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>> ---
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa
>> Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
>> For current archives, visit
>> http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
>> For previous archives, visit
>> http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
>> To post to this group, send an email to
>> USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
>> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
>> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
>> ---
>> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
>> "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
>> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
>> email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
>> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>
> --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
> For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
> For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
> To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
> unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
> ---
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
>
>

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the "USA-Africa Dialogue Series" moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin.
For current archives, visit http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
For previous archives, visit http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue-
unsubscribe@googlegroups.com
---
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "USA Africa Dialogue Series" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to usaafricadialogue+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.