…Gives management 2 weeks ultimatum
From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has declared as unacceptable the quality of ongoing projects at the Rivers State University of Science and Technology (RSUST).
Unsatisfied with the projects, Wike gave the management a two-weeks ultimatum to correct the defects in the ongoing buildings of the Faculty of Management Science and Faculty of Environmental Sciences.
Governor Wike summoned the contractor handling the Medical Sciences project to his office on Tuesday for the slow pace of the job done.
He made the disclosure yesterday, while speaking at the 29th Convocation ceremony of the institution. While insisting that the quality of projects on ground was not commensurate with N500 million released to the institution, Wike threatened to withhold the money he had planned to release to the institution.
His words: “I want to state that I am not satisfied with the quality of projects on ground. I released the sum of N500 million to the University but I am not satisfied with the quality of job done. I will not accept that kind of job at Faculty of Environmental Sciences.”
“I have told the Vice Chancellor that those projects will not be commissioned until the proper thing is done. As I came here today, I have a cheque of N500 million to give the school. I am withholding it.
The angry governor further dropped the hint about the planned change of the institution’s name to River State University. “Today will mark the end of the University answering Rivers State University of Science and Technology. It would henceforth be known as Rivers State University, he declared.
Earlier, The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Didia, had identified shortage of staff, especially academic, as one of the major challenges confronting the school and appealed to the state government to provide either monthly or quarterly subvention for the running of the University.
In response, Governor Wike mandated the State Commissioner for Education, Prof Kaniye Ebeku, to liaise with the Vice Chancellor on the problem of understaffing and report back to him soonest.
A total of 4, 536 graduands were awarded first degree, Postgraduate Diplomas, Masters and Doctorate degrees.