Education
UNIPORT Comissions Housing Units For Staff
Vice Chancellor of the
University of Port Harcourt (UNIPRT, Professor Joseph Ajienka, recently commissioned additional four housing units for staff of the institution.
A statement made available to The Tide states that the provision of housing is in furtherance of the VC’s determination to tackle the accommodation challenges faced by staff of the university.
The newly commissioned housing units include a twin three –bedroom flat and another two-bedroom flat, both located at Ghana-Ama, University Park, and Degema street, respectively. There are two sets of service quarters also at Delta Park.
While expressing the optimism that accommodation challenges facing staff would gradually be overcome going by the speed with which the Housing committee executed the assignment, the VC commended the committee for a job well done.
Professor Ajienka, who encouraged members of the committee to continue to discharge their duties with diligence, observed some structural deficiencies he wanted the Architect from the Department of Physical Planning and Development (DPPD) to put into consideration in the design of future residential buildings.
Earlier, chairman of the Housing Committee, Professor Sikoki, who disclosed that each of the flats was rehabilitated at moderate rates, thanked the Vice Chancellor for his continued support for the committee, revealing that there were marked improvements on earlier buildings, which would be reflected in future designs.
It would be recalled that a twin bedroom flat was commissioned last December to flag off the initiative of renovating staff quarters through direct labour to save cost and deliver residential accommodation to staff of the university on schedule.
The committee, headed by Professor Francis Sikoki, worked in conjuction with the Taskforce on the Renovation and Rehabilitation of staff quarters headed by Dr Friday Nwafor of the Department of theatre and Film studies, Faculty of Humanities.
Sogbeba Dokubo
A professor of Highway Engineering at the Rivers State University (RSU), Prof. Emmanuel Osilemme Ekwulo, has identified poor designs, inadequate materials, insufficient testing, and lack of accountability as major obstacles to the success of highway construction projects in the country.
Ekwulo made this remark in Port Harcourt last Wednesday during the 128th inaugural lecture series of the university, where he presented a lecture titled “Removing Roadblocks: Rebuilding a Foundation for Reliable Highway Pavement Infrastructure.”
The university don lamented the consistent premature failures of road construction projects nationwide, despite huge investments by the government at all levels, attributing the problem to neglected basics and systemic principles in the industry.
According to him, rebuilding the foundation technically, institutionally, and ethically is crucial to building strong and lasting pavements.
Ekwulo emphasized the need for political will, professional integrity, and commitment to engineering excellence to overcome the challenges.
“The metaphoric roadblocks are those challenges causing premature failures,” Ekwulo said, adding that identifying and addressing these roadblocks is key to rebuilding the nation’s highways.
He recommended that institutions involved in road design and construction adopt a mechanistic-empirical design approach, and develop a comprehensive framework for implementing the Nigerian Imperial and Mechanistic Pavement Design System (NEMPADS) approach.
Ekwulo also advocated for mandatory traffic load analysis, strengthened university-industry collaboration, and funding for applied pavement research.
Corruption, he noted, is a major challenge in the profession, saying severe punitive measures are needed to curb shabby practices leading to premature road failures.
The Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, described Ekwulo’s lecture as interesting and intriguing, highlighting the importance of implementing solutions to Nigeria’s highway challenges.
The Vice Chancellor also described Ekwulo’s proposals as practical and applicable to government and industry stakeholders.
He said the university is committed to research aligned with national development goals, referencing its NDV-12 responsive consortium production framework.
Zeb-Obipi noted that Ekwulo’s recommendations are timely and solution-driven, and will contribute to addressing Nigeria’s highway challenges.
Akujobi Amadi
-
News12 hours agoRSG Reiterates Commitment To Youth Dev
-
Rivers10 hours agoPolice Launch Community-Centred National Day Celebration In Rivers, Today
-
Business10 hours agoNSCDC Discloses Illegal Dump Site In Ikwerre Community
-
Business10 hours agoYenagoa’s Radisson Hotel Ready December — NCDMB, Other
-
Maritime10 hours agoMWUN Raises Alarm Over Port Security Lapses In Lagos
-
Maritime10 hours agoNNS Hands Over Two Suspected Stowaways to Immigration Service
-
Environment10 hours agoFG Alls For stronger Partnerships, Women Inclusion In Water Governance
-
Environment10 hours agoWDC: Rivers State Deputy Governor, Prof. Odu Call Inclusion Of Woman And Girls Decision Making