…Faculty Staff Endorse him for second term

By Amaechi Agbo

The Dean, Faculty of Management Sciences (FMS), ESUT, Professor Uchenna Boniface Ugwuanyi, has delivered a valedictory speech to mark the successful completion of his current administrative tenure.

During his address, Prof Ugwuanyi expressed profound appreciation to the university management, academic and non-teaching staff, and students for their unwavering support throughout his leadership.

Following a track record of infrastructural and academic achievements, the FMS staff heavily endorsed Prof. Ugwuanyi for a second term in office.

During a special faculty session and the Faculty Auditorium on Thursday, Prof. Ugwuanyi reviewed his term’s progress, highlighting significant achievements in structural improvements and academic standards.

Known affectionately within the institution as “Mr. Project” due to his active development initiatives, he pointed to successful projects such as the extensive landscaping of Blocks A and B and the road grading leading to and solarisation of both the faculty buildings, among others.

He extended his gratitude to the institution’s Vice-Chancellor and his management for providing an enabling environment and praised the faculty board, heads of departments, and the student body for their dedication to maintaining peace and academic excellence on campus.

“Two years ago, you overwhelmingly gave me your mandate to serve as Dean of our dear faculty. In my terms in office, we did not sit in office. We worked in it. Together, we turned vision into evidence: Our collective scorecard is an indication that the growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership, on this note, we strived to grow FMS in various quarters:

“Block A, once dim, now runs on solar energy. Our PG mini hall, once modest, now speaks the language of modern scholarship. The Dean’s office you see today was rebuilt not for aesthetics, but to set a standard of dignity for all our offices. We renovated lecturers’ offices across Marketing, Accountancy and Business Administration because ideas flow better where the environment respects the thinker.

“We also continued to improve the physical infrastructure of the Faculty in ways that directly enhance teaching, learning, and staff productivity. The compounds surrounding Blocks A and B were paved, giving the Faculty a more organized and welcoming appearance. The water reticulation project not only ensured a more reliable water supply but also transformed the Faculty landscape into a cleaner and more attractive environment. The generator houses for Blocks A and B were renovated to safeguard our power infrastructure, while the Faculty Library received a major facelift, creating a more conducive environment for scholarship and research. In addition, the road linking Blocks A and B was graded, improving accessibility and reinforcing our commitment to a functional and modern academic environment.

“We believed Management Sciences must be seen, heard and felt. Hence we launched and host a functional faculty website, http://www.fms.edu.ng, giving our programmes a global address. We pushed our research visibility onto Google Scholar and ResearchGate so that the work of our staff no longer sits only on shelves but on the world stage. We revised the Faculty Handbook fully to CCMAS, in line with NUC standards, and today I am proud to say: every degree and postgraduate programme in this Faculty is fully accredited. That is not luck. That is discipline.

“We chose to engage the world, not wait for it. We hosted an international conference that brought scholars to ESUT and placed our Faculty on global academic maps. We organised a Faculty Exhibition of Creativity, Arts and Innovation—because management is not only numbers, it is imagination. We instituted a Dinner and Awards Night to celebrate excellence among staff and students, because what is celebrated is repeated.

“We invested in tools for teaching and learning: a faculty photocopy machine, a projector for presentations, reticulation of our borehole for steady water, paving and landscaping of the compound so that our environment reflects the order we teach in class. We refurbished the Postgraduate programme to meet quality and international benchmarks, and we built formal linkages with industry so that our students’ attachment and experiential learning are no longer an afterthought but a structured pathway to employability,” he said.

Prof Ugwuanyi declared that under his stewardship, the faculty fought the menace of Examination malpractice to standstill, stating that it has been eradicated from the faculty. Describing his achievements as a collective vision and aspiration, the outgoing Dean charged the staff and students to ponder on the next phase of the faculty as his administration draws to a close

“Above all, we restored confidence in our examination system. Through firm policy and collective vigilance, exam malpractices and irregularities have been totally eradicated. We also nurtured what no building can give: a cordial, respectful, quality relationship between lecturers and students, and a robust spirit of welfare and cooperation among staff. A Faculty that argues well but stands together.

“Colleagues, these accomplishments are not mine alone—they are ours. They are the product of our shared vision, collective sacrifice, unwavering commitment, and belief in what this Faculty can become. Every milestone recorded during this administration reflects the dedication of members of staff and the cooperation of our students. I was privileged to serve as your coordinator, but it was our unity of purpose and collective resolve that transformed aspirations into achievements. For this, I remain profoundly grateful to every one of you.

“As my tenure draws to a close, I do not regard this moment as an end, but as a transition in the continuing journey of our Faculty. Leadership is a relay, not a destination. We inherit an institution, strengthen it to the best of our ability, and hand it over better than we found it. I therefore invite you to reflect on the future of our Faculty: What more can we do? Which new frontiers should we pursue? How can we build on the foundation we have laid together? Your ideas, constructive criticisms, and aspirations will undoubtedly shape the next phase of our collective progress.

“For my part, service has always been a calling rather than a title. Whatever role I may be called upon to play in the future, my commitment to the growth, excellence, and global relevance of the Faculty of Management Sciences and Enugu State University of Science and Technology remains unwavering. I shall continue to support every initiative that advances our shared vision of academic excellence, innovation, integrity, and institutional development.

“Permit me to conclude with this conviction: The true measure of leadership is not the length of one’s tenure, but the strength of the legacy one leaves behind and the people one inspires to continue the journey. If, together, we have built a Faculty that is stronger, more visible, more united, and better positioned for the future than we found it, then our service has been worthwhile.

“May God continue to bless the Faculty of Management Sciences. May He continue to bless Enugu State University of Science and Technology. And may He grant us the wisdom, unity, and strength to keep building an institution of which generations yet unborn will be proud of.”

Staff Endorsement for a Second Term

Impressed by the sweeping reforms and the development of state-of-the-art learning environments, the academic and non-academic staff of the faculty collectively endorsed Prof. Ugwuanyi for a consecutive second term.

Faculty stakeholders noted that continuity in his leadership would be vital to sustaining the current developmental trajectory and cementing the faculty’s position as a hub for management research and academic excellence.

The endorsement sets the stage for the upcoming faculty deanship elections, with staff voicing absolute confidence in his vision for the next two years. 

In ESUT, deanship elections are conducted every two years across the 14 faculties. The most recent major election cycle was held on August 15, 2024, ushering in new deans and returning incumbents.

The deans serve a two-year tenure, making the next round of faculty-level elections due in August this year.