The new Vice Chancellor, Admiralty University of Nigeria, ADUN, majorly owned by the Nigerian Navy, Professor Paul Omojo Omaji was on Friday 28 June 2019, formerly presented with his letter of appointment by the Nigerian Navy High Command at Naval headquarters, Abuja
This is just as the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) and visitor of the university located in Ibuzor in Delta state, Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas tasked the new VC to ensure zero tolerance for immorality, indiscipline, drug abuse, cultism, activism, fraternization and negative nuances.
“Rather, you are expected to ensure that integrity, competence, transparency, good order, fairness, justice, academic excellence, good ethics and other virtues enshrined as core values in the code of conduct and the university law are upheld”, Vice Admiral Ibas said.
“You will thus be expected to build a model institution that meets international standards, capable of developing the capacity of staff and students to attain their best possible potential”, he added.
Nothing that achieving the foregoing, requires the VC to attract international and domestic support including collaboration with reputable personalities and institutions towards enhancing standards, the CNS said, “It will also require recruitment of only the most qualified staff and enrolment of the very best applicants as students, among several other initiatives”.
Speaking further, the CNS said, “As you ponder on the way forward, be assured that the founders and indeed, the Board of Trustees of ADUN will hand you specific key performance indicators and control measures which you will be obliged to meet and be held accountable for, periodically”.
“These amongst others, will enable you institutionalize good corporate governance and internal control mechanisms to ensure probity and judicious utilization of human, material and financial resources”.
He added that “The founders of the university will not relent in providing the needed guidance, wherewithal and support towards evolving a university that we will all be proud of”.
Drawing the VC’s attention to the fact that the university does not exist in a vacuum but is subject to the supervision of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Vice Admiral Ibas said, “It is hoped that the VC will be guided by applicable laws, regulations and policies in the discharge of his responsibilities”.
“In all these, permit me to observe that to whom mush is given, mush is expected. I therefore urge you to bring your exposure, training and experience to bear in transforming the university into a citadel of excellence in all ramifications” he told the Vice Chancellor.
Prof Omaji in his acceptance, thanked the CNS for the appointment and pledged to carry out all the responsibilities attached to the position, consistent with the ethos of the proprietors and the business ideology of ADUN.
He said, “I am taking this position with all the wisdom I can muster. Apart from the vision 2025 which seeks to build the university capacity to 9 faculties, 81 departments, 300 programmes, 11,000 students and 778 staff in 6 years, the name ‘Admiralty’ raises the bar, noting that it was derived from the French word ‘Admiralite’ in the 16th century and it means praiseworthy, admirable, adorable, etc
The vision is “To be internationally recognized as a university with global perspective that meets the dynamic needs of society by educating leaders who shall value creation for the good of mankind”.
Rear Admiral SA Adebari, the Group Managing Director, Naval Holdings Limited (NHL), earlier disclosed that the appointment of the new VC went through a very rigorous and transparent selection process undertaken by KPMG Nigeria.
“The ultimate aim of the process was to appoint the most suitable candidate that would drive the evolution of our university from its present nascent stage to achieve its set objectives.
“These objectives, as encapsulated in the University Law Part 1 (Section 2), are ultimately geared towards establishing, resourcing and positioning the Admiralty University of Nigeria adequately to become a foremost international university that ranks among the best 500 in the world in 5 years” Rear Admiral Adebari added.
Prof Omaji who has 38 years working experience in university teaching, research, public policy and administration, was appointed pioneer Vice Chancellor of Salem University, Lokoja in 2008 after 20 years in Diaspora working in US, UK and Australia among others.
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