By MC Mazi

Enugu – In another mileage of signposting the activities of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) and stamping its feet as the Flagship Newspaper of the university community, the ESUT Monitor Newspaper has come out with a SPECIAL EDITION to mark Professor Uchenna Ekwochi’s One Year in office as the Provost, ESUT College of Medicine, ESUCOM.

The 16-page Sepcial Edition chronicles Prof Ekwochi’s rise to the Provostship of the College and his landmark transformative leadership one year after assuming office.

The Special Edition further marks the ESUT Monitor’s rising pedigree not just within the University community but in Enugu State.

Dr Ekwochi, a Professor of Paediatrics and a consultant, has demystified ESUCOM with his innovative ideas and welfare of staff and students.

The latest edition, making it three times the ESUT Monitor Newspaper (EMN) hardcopy is being published in this semester – Convocation Edition in November 2024, Matriculation Edition in February 2025 – is dedicated to Prof Uchenna Ekwochi’s one Year pragmatic administration at the ESUCOM.

The Paper will start circulating today, and despite coming out with a price tag of ₦1000 per copy, Prof Ekwochi who singlehandedly sponsored the publication, said that staff, students and friends of the College and ESUT at large, will collect copies free.

This Is A Landmark Record, We are Making Progress – Dr Ezinwa, HOD Mass Comm

Responding to the mileage, the Head of Department, Mass Communication, Barr Dr Chidiebere Anthony Ezinwa described the production of the Special Edition as a landmark record particularly coming out less than three weeks after the production of the Matriculation Edition.

Dr Ezinwa noted that the production was made more tasking considering that it came out during examination and the EMN Reporters are not available.

While congratulating the Provost on his one year in office and the significant strides recorded, Dr Ezinwa praised the commitment of the students who despite their examinations schedule took part in the reportage as well as the EMN Staff Adviser for shouldering the daunting responsibility of packaging the Special Edition.

“Three Newspapers in a semester, sounds very unreal but that is the commitment and determination the department places on ESUT Monitor Newspaper. Recall that when the newspaper started over three decades ago, it’s published once in a session. But after the revival, the system has changed .

“Today we have a Special Edition commemorating the outstanding one year in office of Professor Uchenna Ekwochi as Provost, ESUT College of Medicine. He singlehandedly sponsored the production of the paper and we are grateful to him and the ESUCOM Management Board.

“Coming out at this period is very challenging because we just published the Matriculation Edition which came out on February 24. Today, March 12, another edition is out. Added to that is the fact that the students despite their ongoing examinations took part in the coverage and reportage of events but couldn’t participate in the editing and finishing end. This leaves the Staff Adviser, Mr Amaechi Agbo with a staggering task to shoulder and I am happy that, as always, they delivered.

“Let me use this opportunity to congratulate the Provost on his one year anniversary. The Provost is a keen supporter and reader of EMN and we can’t thank him enough. He has demonstrated the can-do spirit to reposition the College in line with the vision of our Vice Chancellor, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie,” he said.

Prof Uchenna Ekwochi assumed office as the Provost, ESUT College of Medicine, ESUCOM, on March 12, 2024. He replaced Late Prof Innocent Okafor who died on December 9, 2023.

ESUT Monitor Newspaper is a publication of the Department of Mass Communication, ESUT. EMN is primarily to serve as the training medium for Mass Communication students and to promote and propagate activities of the University.

The Latest edition is making it the SIXTH since the EMN was relauchned in November 2023.