FEDERAL UNIVERSITY OTUOKE BAYELSA STATE, NIGERIA Vice-Chancellor s Weekly E-BULLETIN Vol 1.1: Monday November 26, 2012 Students to Return from Flood Interruption of Campus Activities Saturday December 1, 2012 Male hostel at Otuokpoti during the flood You will recall that our inaugural students were called in to begin studies on October 6, 2012, but almost immediately serious floods engulfed Bayelsa State as well as Otuoke and environs, and they had to be sent away reluctantly. The Male Hostel (see above) at Otuokpoti was seriously flooded and three of the four routes to Otuoke in fact to Ogbia LG were impassable. Furthermore as many as three thousand Otuoke refugees had to be accommodated on our take-off site. As announced, we are now calling back all students to return on Saturday December 1, to resume classes on Monday December 3. 1
Chief Meni Jonathan a friend of the university Passes Away nn Chief Meni at a varsity function It is with heavy heart that we announce the passing away, on Tuesday November 20, of Chief Meni Innocent Jonathan, junior brother of President Goodluck Jonathan, and chairman of Otuoke Council of Chiefs. An early enthusiast and friend of our university, ever cheerful and eager to promote the university, he can even be regarded as the first unofficial researcher who agreed to tend to the foam fish cage donated to the university by Vitapur (a division of Vitafoam). His company (Jinno Nig. Ltd.) has also done renovation work for the university. We will sorely miss him. He will be buried at Otuoke on Friday December 6, 2012. Vice-Chancellor Visits SPDC in Port Harcourt VC Aluko making a presentation at SPDC In his continuing effort to build linkages and attract funds to the University, the Vice- Chancellor, in company of Institutional Advancement Unit official (and university Associate Professor) Dr. Sepribo Lawson-Jack, visited the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) premises in Port Harcourt on Thursday, November 22, for about two hours. Very promising discussions were held with SPDC s Education Liaison officials. A follow-up visit to Otuoke by SPDC is in the works. 2
Vice-Chancellor Participates in BRACED Education Summit in Port Harcourt BRACED stands for the Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross-River, Edo and Delta States. An Education Summit of these states was held in Port Harcourt at Government House on November 15-16, 2012 with the theme Empowering all through Education. The Vice-Chancellor presented a paper entitled Federal University Otuoke: The Newest Public University in the Niger-Delta in which he introduced the university to participants. He also chaired the final session on The Next Steps after the Summit. VC Aluko making a presentation at BRACED Summit NDDC Officials and Contractors Visit Otuoke Campus VC Aluko and PPD staff Meeting with NDDC staff and contractors The Niger-Delta Development Commission (NDDC) recently awarded three contracts worth about N6 billion to be executed on the permanent site of the University. These include the study and design, and construction of internal roads (Phase 1) on the campus, as well as a 400-500 bed-hostel, to be completed within the next year. Following a visit on November 22 by the Vice-Chancellor to NDDC s MD Dr. Christian Oboh at NDDC Headqarters in Port Harcourt, on Friday November 23, State officials of the NDCC as well as the contractors (One Plus Nig. Ltd., Jotanan Nig. Ltd.) met with the Vice- Chancellor, Registrar and officials of the Physical Planning and Development at Unit of the university to outline a schedule of activities for timely completion of the projects. 3
Vice-Chancellor hosts Diaspora exiles at the university to a Thanksgiving Dinner The third Thursday in November is Thanksgiving Day in the USA, a major family and Turkey eating holiday. The Vice-Chancellor, himself a US transplant, invited a number of Nigerian- American exiles and their friendly Nigerian indigenes working at the university to a turkey dinner (complete with Pounded Yam and Rice, and wine, etc.) on November 22, 2012, at the Government Lodge in Yenagoa. A 2012 Thanksgiving dinner far away from family FU Otuoke Staff to Represent Bayelsa State in Eko 2012 It is with pride that we inform you that Mr.Tekena Erede of the University Library, an expert Taekwando athlete, will be representing Bayelsa State in the upcoming Eko 2012 National Sports Festival in Lagos Nigeria (Nov. 27-Dec. 10, 2012). We wish him the best and hope that he brings a medal back to Bayelsa State and to the university. [I use the opportunity to inform you that there are also several university students who appear well accomplished in various sports. The University has already signed up for NUGA 2013 to participate as an observing university. ] 4
Mr. Zibo Sidi Geoffrey gets hitched Congratulations to Zibo Geoffrey, Personal Assistant to the Registrar, who got married to a beautiful bride Patience in Warri, Delta State, on Saturday, November 24. Several members of staff of the university attended the event. We wish them a blissful married life. Zibo and bride Pat Dr. Love celebrates her birthday Congratulations to Dr. Obiani Love Arugu-Iwori of the Department of Political Science. She marked the occasion with a reception at the Matho-Crystal Hotel, Yenagoa, on Saturday November 24, 2012 with lots of food and drinks, comedy and dance.. Dr. Love and her birthday cake 5
Upcoming Events: Tuesday Nov 27 Interviews of some Academic Staff Wednesday Nov 28 Senate Meeting Saturday Dec 1 Students return to campus Monday Dec 3 Classes begin Please remember: Normal Workdays are Monday through Friday, with office hours 8 am to 4 pm. No loitering please; the university demands value for money Your Health Insurance. Sign up and use it at our university clinic and/or the hospital you signed up with for routine check-ups or if you feel unwell. We remind you of the university s core values, mission and vision: Core values: LIKES Learning, Integrity, Knowledge, Excellence and Service Mission: The mission of the Federal University, Otuoke is the generation, dissemination, preservation, and application of knowledge Vision: The vision of the Federal University, Otuoke (FUO) is to gain and maintain a reputation as a world-class university that challenges all its students to achieve the highest levels of intellectual and personal growth, to promote sustainable development, as well as contribute purposeful and ethical service to the nation and Mankind. Communicating with students and staff: Most official communications between university management and staff will be largely through electronic means: SMS text; please provide your mobile phone number to the Registry (Establishment) University website (http://www.fuotuoke.edu.ng); do check often for news and activities. Your official university email address (Yoursurname_first_two_initials@fuotuoke.edu.ng eg alukome@fuotuoke.edu.ng ) only. All staff and students have their official email addresses and boxes via University Webmail (accessible on our website) set up by our IT unit staff already. How you will be free to RE-DIRECT your emails to your native email address (eg at Gmail.com, Hotmail.com, or Yahoo.com, etc.) as you wish. For instructions on how to do this re-direction, please send an email ASAP to Webmaster Mr. Iweka Obiajulu at webmaster@fuotuoke.edu.ng Staff and students who would like for me to recognize their significant accomplishments and honors in this weekly bulletin should please send an email to vcbulletin@fuotuoke.edu.ng. I value your contributions to the emerging character of our university. Your submission must be made by Thursday noon to show up in the next Monday bulletin, otherwise they may be featured the following week. 6
Professor Mobolaji E. Aluko. Mobolaji E. Aluko, BSc, MSc, DIC, PhD Vice-Chancellor [Vc@fuouoke.edu.ng, alukome@fuotuoke.edu.ng] 7