By Ijeoma Ugwu

From tackling structural corruption to pioneering a round-the-clock campus economy, the Chairman of ESUT Ventures, Mr. Ogbodo Obinna, is orchestrating a commercial revolution at Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

In an exclusive interview with the ESUT Monitor, Mr Ogbodo unveiled an ambitious modernization blueprint to transform the university’s main transit and business park into a 24-hour marketplace, complete with new zone regulations, strict sanitation codes, and upcoming dusk-to-dawn street lighting.

Backed by the student-friendly administration of Vice-Chancellor Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie, the bold initiative promises to break down traditional campus trading hours and offer hostel students unprecedented, safe access to goods and services all night long.

Excepts

Let’s takeoff from the beginning, what are the duties of ESUT Venture Directorate?

Thank you very much for this critical question because oftentimes traders and the business people in the park or within the university do not understand our responsibilities and it is important to use this medium to create awareness on what our officials roles are.

ESUT Ventures Directorate was created primarily to carry out four critical responsibilities on behalf of the university and they include:

Managing Campus Commercial Operations: It oversees and regulates campus-based businesses, shops, and operators, specifically those located within designated areas like the campus park.

Collecting and Reconciling University Revenue: It is the official body responsible for collecting rents, levies, and operational funds from campus traders on behalf of the university authority.

Establishing Regulatory Boundaries: It maintains a distinct operational boundary between the university’s management interests and the Student Union Government (SUG), preventing student union bodies from directly seizing or taking over school commercial revenues.

Auditing and Financial Records Accountability: It handles the financial auditing, account reconciliation, and verification of official payment receipts issued to campus businesses to ensure funds are not diverted or uncounted during administrative transitions.

What are the major challenges you have faced as the head of ESUT Ventures, and how have you been able to overcome them?

One of the primary challenges was establishing a clear boundary between student unionism and the operations of ESUT Ventures. In past administrations, a lack of clarity created bottlenecks. Some traders at the campus park exploited this confusion to divert Ventures’ funds.

The previous Student Union Government (SUG) did not understand their limits; they assumed that because they were the student union, every business venture on campus had to pay them directly. They failed to realize they needed to liaise with the university management, which Ventures represents. Their approach lacked decorum and was focused more on unionism and grabbing resources. We had to work hard to correct that mindset when we assumed office.

A second major challenge was that my predecessor retired abruptly without notice. Some shop owners and business operators at the park capitalized on this sudden transition to hide their receipts, claiming they had already paid him. As a result, it took a significant amount of time for us to audit the records, reconcile accounts, and distinguish between those who actually owed the school and those who did not

How do you balance and manage the expectations of students, staff and the university management while running office operations?

Fortunately, the current university management, led by Vice-Chancellor Professor Aloysius Michaels Okolie, is highly supportive of both students and management. For the first time since the inception of ESUT, we have a sitting Vice-Chancellor collaborating directly with us on student-friendly projects. You can see evidence of this partnership at the Nomex Female student hostel and through the ongoing improvements at the park.

Immediately upon taking office, we secured approval from the Vice-Chancellor to clear and establish a befitting, designated park for the Enugu State shuttle buses. We have organized the transport system so that students can easily locate their destinations. We now have clearly demarcated zones for: State shuttle buses, private shuttles, taxis, Keke (tricycles) and Okada (motorcycles)

To maintain order and prevent traffic congestion on the main roads, we also cleared a separate parking zone for temporary visitors—people coming to the park briefly to use business centers for photocopying or typing. Through this collaboration with university authorities, we have achieved significant milestones within a very short period.

Aside from these achievements, what is your long-term vision for ESUT Ventures?

Sanitation and modernization are our next big priorities. We have already enforced a strict cleanliness policy at the park. Every shop is now required to maintain an individual waste bin and dispose off trash at a centralized dump site. We penalize shops that fail to keep their surroundings clean.

Looking ahead, we are partnering with the university management to install street lighting across the park once the road construction is complete. Our ultimate vision is to transform the park into a 24-hour marketplace within the campus. This will allow campus residents and hostel students to safely access goods and services at any time of the day or night.

How do you resolve conflicts or disagreements that arise within the commercial community?

We maintain peace by keeping operations strictly separated: we do not interfere in student union matters, and we do not allow students to interfere with Ventures’ business.

When structural or operational conflicts arise, we rely on established rules rather than martial force. If an operator violates a regulation, they face a specific fine. For individuals who refuse to comply with guidelines, we escalate the matter to the university’s internal security team. Our strict policy at ESUT is to handle and resolve our internal issues internally, without involving external security forces.