…all illicit distractions from traducers must stop immediately
By Elempe Dele
THE worst death is being irrelevant, life will continue to be hell as long as those who want to be relevant live in the shadows of those who are permanently towering.
This is the case of those who are bellyaching over the appointment of Chief Dan Osi Orbih as the Chairman of the Ambrose Alli University, AAU, Governing Council. The well-deserved appointment has brought a lot of bitterness to a lot of small-time evaporating politicians who are are at the throes of total dismissal from Edo State politics, yet this inbred envy has not been able to take an ounce of infectious smile from the face of the Esama of Uromi, Gbenemene Tua Tua 1, the Kulukulu 1 of Ogoniland, the Eze Oha 1 of Mburubu, Enakhaimhoi of Anegbete, Agbokhaivho the 2nd of Avianwu Clan, and the Oduma of Uzaire. Whether you like it or not, Chief Orbih eminently earns his rightful place in the Nigeria political landscape. His taproot in politics is earth deep, no amount of clairvoyant ranting can uproot it.
As of today, Chief Dan Orbih is one of most prolific politician from Edo State and his influence transcend beyond the small margin of party lines. His eternal focus is to work towards the greater good of the people, a rare quality that has endears him to thousands of people in Edo State and beyond.
I am not going to waste much effort in antibiotic-dressing the ills of the traducers, backbiters, defamers, libelers, maligners, slanderers, and vilifiers…who wish to impeach the appointment of Chief Orbih from the lazy chairs of their homes, my focus is to accentuate how best he can help to reposition AAU which saw institutional decay for the past eight years under Governor Obaseki.
The task before Chief Orbih is enormous, and I wish he is not distracted by those who imagine in their minds choices of appointments he should take and the ones he should reject. All he needs is focused attention – focused to the extent of bringing to life from dereliction which has attended the institution of learning under the past administration.
Orbih’s first task this new year is to sit in a frank meeting with stakeholders(members or representatives of both the academic and non-academic staff) to get first-hand information about the challenges the institution is faced with presently. Thank God the present Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo, has approved an increased subvention for the institution to five hundred million(#500,000,000) to address the financial backlog left behind by the past administration. This unprecedented intervention is expected to undoubtedly have a profound impact on the institute’s infrastructure, research capabilities, and overall academic excellence. It will also not only boost confidence, it will act as catalyst for transformative growth and development of the institute.
Under Chief Dan Orbih, the Governing Council must be strategic in determining the educational character and clear cut academic direction of the institution. The Council will need to define the mission and strategic aims of the institution including the Strategic Framework, and the key indicators of higher educational institutes performance.
The Council must also need consistent delegation to the institution, monitoring projects, ensure due process is followed at all times and hold to account, the Vice-Chancellor as Chief Executive, with authority for the academic, corporate, financial, estate and human resource management of the institution. It must also establish and keep under regular review the policies, procedures and limits within which the management of the institution functions are undertaken by and under the authority of the Vice-Chancellor, who is yet to be appointed as of today.
The Council must ensure the establishment and monitoring of systems of control and accountability including financial and operational controls, solvency and risk assessment.
The Council must ensure that processes are in place to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the institution in each of its major activities under the backdrop of approved targets.
The Council must act as the principal financial and business authority of the institution(as the case maybe) to ensure that proper books of account are kept, to approve the annual budget and financial statements, and to have overall accountability for the institute’s assets, property and estate. The Governing Council must ensure that the institution is financially sustainable and is using its resources efficiently for the benefit of its students and stakeholders.
The Council will need to act as legal authority and, as such, to ensure systems are in place for meeting all the institution’s legal obligations, including those arising from contracts and other legal commitments made in the institution’s name. This includes accountability for health, safety and security and for equality, diversity and inclusion.
The Council must ensure that systems are in place for securing continued compliance by the institution as a provider of higher education with the Office for Students’ (OfS) ongoing conditions of registration and all of the institution’s statutory, legal and other regulatory compliance obligations.
The Council must ensure that there are procedures for handling internal grievance, conflicts of interest, fraud, bribery and corruption; and to ensure that there are procedures by which Staff and Students can raise matters of concern in a civlized manner befitting of an institute of higher learning. The Council must address frontally the issue of sex-for-marks that have been a recurring decimal in most institutions.
The Council must establish processes to monitor and evaluate the performance and effectiveness of the Governing Council itself. Its self-appraisal is as important as the appraisal of the institution.
The Council under Chief Orbih is expected to conduct its business in accordance with best practice in higher education corporate governance and with the principles of public life.
The Council must pay keen interest in the appoint of the Vice-Chancellor and also put in place arrangements for monitoring their performance, ensuring that, in relation to the Council, there is an appropriate separation of her/his lines of accountability from any management functions.
The Council must ensure that all students and staff have opportunities to engage with the governance and management of the institution in a way that will foster peaceful coexistence.
The Council, I am sure, will have a say in the employment process of staff and be accountable for ensuring that an appropriate human resources strategy is established.
The Council must make sure that there is provision for the appointment, grading, appraisal, remuneration, professional development, welfare, discipline, suspension and dismissal of staff (both academic and non-academic)
The Council must make sure that students benefit from valuable learning experience, leading to academic awards which will be subject to the application of appropriate academic standards.
Under students management, the Council must make sure there is a complaints procedure which students may use and procedures which are used in the event of alleged student disciplinary offences, and there must adequate provision for student walfare. The Council must make sure that the institution’s Students’ Union(SU) is accountable for its finances and that it operates in a fair and democratic manner without undue interference.
AAU has produced notable names in all spheres of endeavour in Nigeria. It is within the duty of the Council to safeguard the good name and values of the institution by promoting its foundational ideals.
I have no doubt that Chief Dan Orbih, who is known for welcoming diverse ideas, will use this medium to serve Edo State by repositioning AAU for greater heights. So instead of unnecessary envy, let us join hands together to make sure he succeeds in this onerous task.
