By Amaechi Agbo

The Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Institute for Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (IPCDS) will relocate to a new location, at the Mature Students Programme (MSP), Independence Layout, Enugu

Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof Aloysius-Michaels Okolie who disclosed this, said the relocation became expedient considering that the Institute has “no address”

The VC stated this on Friday during the Induction/Orientation programme for newly admitted students for the 2025/2026 academic session at the Institute.

Prof Okolie who revealed that the University recently paid the sum of N1.4 million rent to the ESUT Business School, noted that the new location will not only enhance the visibility of the Institute but would also make it accessible for students, staff and visitors.

 “The primary issue is that first of all, the institute must have an address. If I ask you the address of this institute, you would mention ESUT Business School. That is a contradiction. I want the institute to have a contact address. This morning I got another bill of N1.4 million that I should pay to ESUT Business School for the usage of their facility which I have sorted out.

“The concern is the management is not comfortable that you continue to be here and be subsumed into the ESUT Business School, you must leave. I am giving you till September to relocate because the recent rent I paid would be the last

“You will go to MSP, Mkpokiti, where we know is our property and I will not be paying. But whether you stay here after that time, count it that it will never happen. Why you cannot get a job from a government or any agency is because when they ask your address, you say ESUT Business School,” he said.

Prof Okolie also called for synergy between the Institute and ESUT School of Postgraduate Studies (SPGS) to facilitate robust engagement and effective administration of the Institute in ensuring that students graduate as and when due and warned that the university has no tolerance for overstayed students

“There must be direct relationship between this institute and the university especially with the Postgraduate Studies, all your documents for registration must be indicated and deposited with the SPGS.

“What laws that applied to some of us in Agbani PG must apply to you, which means the time for overstay must apply. The director must check the records of all the people that have spent more than the required period compile them and send to us. We will write them formal letter to withdraw, we have done it in Agbani and it must apply here. So don’t take it that immediately you register, you can graduate when you want to, no.”

He also made a passionate appeal on the need for alumni to give back to the institution which trained them professionally adding that once a students have the certificate of the university, he/she has identified with the university till the rest of his/her life.

“In Ibadan, one alumnus built a ten-story building for their programme, in UNILAG, an MD of a bank and alumnus built eight-storey structure for them. We are not saying give us such gigantic structures, but be part of the transformation and repositioning going on in ESUT.

“There is no alumnus that would give back to a system that exploited him or her. Therefore the staff here must make the students to feel that they belong here and they made the right choice to be here. By being students, you are stakeholders, remember for life, you will be carrying a certificate and logo which is ESUT, which means you have joined forces with all of us by being a partaker of the gain and losses. That is why collectively we must minimize the losses and expand the range of the gains,” he concluded.