Barely five years after the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Prof Barineme Fakae had embarked on an audacious mission to rescue the university from near extinction, Fakae says  the institution has again bounced back on the track of academic excellence.

Making the declaration at the 24th convocation ceremony of the university over the weekend in Port Harcourt, the VC in his address entitled ‘RSUST: Back on Track”, said time was when the  university, “out of 39 programmes, had only 8 fully accredited but today, I am glad to inform you that all the programmes of the university presented to National University Commission are presently fully accredited.” He added that two programmes, architecture and land surveying that suffered loss in 2005 would be attended to by the NUC accreditation team billed to visit RSUST on 28th of this month, and expressed optimism that the two programmes would record 100% accreditation.

Fakae also noted that out of 122 universities currently operating in the country, only 27 were qualified to be visited for institutional accreditation, and that RSUST was one of those qualified.

“Today, I am particularly glad to announce that the results just received show that following the institutional accreditation visit in December, 2011, this university has now been institutionally accredited and rated A in its category to operate for the next five years, after which it will be due for another visitation,” Fakae noted.

The RSUST VC remarked that in his administration’s quest to position the institution as a world class standard, infrastructural development, staff welfare, students’ matters, sports development and information and communication technology have received deserved attention, and commended the university’s visitor and Governor of Rivers State, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi for his tremendous support and encouragement without which the long list of projects carried out could not have been possible.

He, therefore, appealed for Amaechi’s continuous support to the institution to enable it complete the moot court project in the Faculty of Law to enable it escape the hangman’s rope of the council  for legal education.

“The moot court is a special requirement for the next accreditation of our law programme. The status of this programme will be at risk if nothing is done about this building when the present accreditation expires in 2013, he said.

The VC appealed to ASUU, SSANU, NASU and NAAT branches of RSUST to embrace dialogue and exhaust all avenues for peaceful resolution to conflicts before contemplating and embarking on strike.  According to him, it was when there is industrial harmony that the university would be able to keep to the calendar of its academic programmes that would enble lectures, research and staff promotion to go on uninterrupted.

Earlier in his address, Pro-Chancellor and chairman of the university’s Governing Council,  Justice Adophus Karibi-Whyte had commended the graduands, pointing out that it takes commitment, dedication and hard work to be acknowledged as worthy in character and learning, He charged them to good ambassadors of the university as well as maintain continuous link with their alma mater.

Highpoint of the event was the granting of the VC’s request by Governor Amaechi to recruit staff to further strengthen the university’s workforce.

The VC had lamented the frustration in the system bottleneck that hindered the institution from employing needed staff to man critical areas, noting that the situation had become precarious as the department of medical laboratory science is at the verge of losing its professional accreditation as a result of paucity of personnel, especially teaching staff.

A total of 3,541 graduands received certificates, postgraduate diploma and higher degrees in various specialization.

Of the figure, 3,219 got first degrees, 85 postgraduate diplomas, 215 master and 22 doctorate degrees. Three graduates made the prestigious first class .

Meanwhile,  Governor Chibuike Amaechi has pledged government resolve for better working conditions and manpower in the State-owned University of Science and Technology(RSUST).

Governor Amaechi made the pledge at the 24th Convocation ceremony of the university in Port Harcourt on Saturday.

Overwhelmed with the academic achievements of RSUST, Amaechi urged the  Vice Chancellor of the university and management to sit with ASUU and negotiate a new condition of service, which includes determination of staff who do not live up to their expectation.

‘I will also implore the university to employ new academic staff. There is no university if there are no teachers’’, he stated.

He approved the completion of the moot court building of the Faculty of Law as it would enhance the quality of graduates from the department.

Amaechi, however advised management of the institution to devoid itself from politics “I don’t approve of the signboards I see around the campus comparing what is in the past to the present. Whatever achievements we have made we congratulate the Vice Chancellor for those achievements and let it remain as achievements,’’ he said.

The governor commended the industry and commitment of the Governing Council and the Vice Chancellor for overhauling the institution and being able to break the jinx of non-accreditation and clearing the backlog of students who were unable to graduate over the years.

Amaechi congratulated the graduands, and urged them to be the torch lights of the society. “Ideas rule the world, hence this convocation is an indication of the seriousness and commitment you have shown to your studies. Bring the same to bear as you go to the outside world ‘’, he remarked.

He lauded former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon Odein Ajumogobia for bagging the university’s honourary doctorate degree in law, observing that the award was in recognition of Ajumogobia’s hardwork and integrity even as he wished him well in his future endeavour.

Earlier, in his address, the Pro-Chancellor of the university, Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte had said that the institution was undergoing drastic changes, and expressed appreciation to the Governor for providing the moral and financial support to the university’s governing council.

Justice Karibi-Whyte said,’’ I wish to express our profound gratitude to your Excellency for your unparalleled and continued support to the Rivers State University of Science and Technology(RSUST). You are one Visitor to this university that has shown a thorough understanding of the peculiar problems of our university’’.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof Barineme Fakae said the convocation was coming six months after  last year’s one to clear the backlog of 2010-2011, and promised that the next convocation would come up next year.’’

He noted that the university has made tremendous strides over the years with a full accreditation of all its programmes by the National University Commission(NUC). Currently, he said the institution has become a world class in infrastructure and ICT, as it was rated A in its category of universities by NUC.

Chris Oluoh & Kevin Nengia