By Amaechi Agbo

The Vice-Chancellor, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT), Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie has charged the newly elected National Executive Council, NEC of the University’s Alumni Association to continue to sustain the legacies, comradeship and collaborative norms existing between the association and the management in order to sustain the new narrative in the institution.

The Vice-Chancellor gave the charge in his office on Friday when the new leaders of the Alumni Association paid a courtesy visit to the management of the institution.

Prof Okolie who congratulated the new leaders on their election victory urged them to remain focused and supportive of the management’s quest in changing the narratives at ESUT.

“Let me first and foremost congratulate all of you on your electoral victories which I know were never easy. Today you are here because you played the politics at the time and now it is time to work.

“The greatest challenge we have in organisation, association or any group is transition. I am happy we are able to come out of the elections peacefully and in love.

“Let me assure you that we shall work in synergy. We shall be interfacing with the alumni to ensure that we get to where we are going.

“We just started the journey, we shall achieve our targets with your support and we are going to give you maximum cooperation and you can’t afford not to deliver. It is important that we sustain our existing collaboration in rebuilding ESUT. This is our dream which is achievable,” the VC said.

He emphasized the need for unity in the association and the impact it would make in helping the management to reposition the university.

“Where I am coming from, the Alumni has five factions and their issues have remained unsolved. Factiionalisation breaks down any family or group.

“We are happy that ESUT Alumni is a role model to many universities in the country. This unity and peace is instrumental in achieving our set objectives and I must commend all of you in this regard.”

Earlier in his speech, the Alumni National President, Barrister CNN Nwagbara, said the NEC visited the Vice-Chancellor on tripartite reasons – to pay a courtesy visit, officially introduce the new NEC to the management and also to pay condolence to the VC who lost his mother during the week

He expressed the determination of the new Alumni leadership to continue to be a focal and rallying point for the students and expressed assurance of continued collaboration with the management in rebranding the university.

Also speaking, the University Registrar, Chief Ambrose Ugwu, who doubles as the National Treasurer of the Alumni Association, expressed optimism that the partnership between the management and the association will be enhanced.

He lauded the VC for his laudable initiatives in the institution which have revolutionalized the University setting it at par with best universities in the world.

He stressed that the innovative and pragmatic leadership of the Vice-Chancellor has continued to give a rebirth and sound health to the University’s 67 programmes and emerging ones and assured of the Alumni’s readiness in that regard.

The ESUT Alumni NEC members were received by the Vice-Chancellor and some members of the management team including the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Prof Chike Nwoha, the Bursar, Dr Augustine Ojeh as well as the Registrar, Chief Ambrose Ugwu, who is also a member of the Alumni NEC.

A minute silence was observed in honour of the Vice-Chancellor’s mother, late Mrs Ezinne Lucy Onuzulike Okolie who died on Tuesday, March 5, 2024 aged 81.