The Benue State University was established in 1992 during the short-lived administration of Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu. It is the first state-owned university in the northern part of Nigeria. Apart from its pioneer status, the university has made profound contributions to human resource development within and outside the shores of the country in such a way and manner that its centrality and cruciality in the educational ecology of Nigeria can scarcely be gainsaid.
Penultimate Monday, the visitor to the University and governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom, confirmed the appointment of Professor Joe Tor Iorapuu as the sixth vice chancellor of the university. The appointment has continued to elicit ovation within and without the walls of the university and the larger Benue community.
There are two major reasons that stand this appointment in the coigne of vantage. Firstly, the vice chancellor emerged through a rigorous and vigorous transparent selection process. Secondly, the appointee is the first to be appointed outside the Benue State university community.
Professor Joe Tor Iorapuu is a theatre arts scholar, thespian, social activist, and community development expert. For well over three decades, he has plied his trade in the Department of Theatre Arts, University of Jos; and rose steadily through the lectureship ranks to attain the professorial position.
It is expected that he will bring all these attributes that stand him out to bear on his vice chancellorship remit in the next five years. The common expectation is that he will discharge his official responsibilities with professional aplomb; dispensing service to all staff and students of the university without let or hindrance; and without wavering his gaze on the vision and mission of the university. One factor that stands him in good stead to take the university to greater heights is his coming from the outside. For this reason, he is emancipated from the occluding influences of petty prejudices, among others.
The new vice chancellor, on assumption of office, must immediately flung open the doors of the university for the immediate resumption of academic activities. This is an irreducible minimum. Before the closure of the university, many students were on the verge of writing their last paper. Indeed, some students were about dropping the pen of their last paper when they were literarily stopped for no fault of theirs.
The vice chancellor must enthrone a clemently calm industrial and occupational environment in the university. All the unions in the university are currently on strike. These strikes have nothing to do with him. He should call all the striking unions together, negotiate with them and give their members a new lease of life. All cases in the courts should be recalled and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms invoked to address them decisively and timeously.
But by far, the one area that deserves the most attention is teaching and research. Not only should he build on the successes so far recorded by previous administrations, he should be creative, innovative and ingenious in formulating policies that would bring the university up to speed to contemporary international best research practices. Very importantly, academic and administrative staff must be given the best administrative training and research opportunities within and outside the country.
Atah Pine, Makurdi, Benue State.
