Kenechukwu Ofomah
Awka
The Acting Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University,
Awka (UNIZIK), Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, has commissioned a series of legacy
projects across the institution’s campuses, marking the end of her six-month
tenure with what she described as ‘a mission to touch lives and restore dignity
to learning and working conditions.’
At the UNIZIK Medical Centre, Prof. Arinze-Umobi led the commissioning of the Renal Therapy Unit equipped with modern dialysis machines and a Digital X-Ray Unit, both designed to enhance quality healthcare delivery for students, staff, and the university community.
According to her, the decision to establish the renal
therapy unit was inspired by personal loss and the high cost of dialysis in
Nigeria.
“I had watched my loved ones die of inability to dialyze
because of the cost involved, sixty thousand naira and above, three times a
week,” she said.
“Even if you have a lot of money, it drains you. So, I
decided to bring the service closer and make it affordable.”
She explained that dialysis will now cost ₦10,000 for staff,
₦12,500 for outsiders, and will be free for students, with sustainability
supported through the university’s business ventures.
“While we do business to make money, we should also do
business to save lives. We want to calculate not just financial gains but human
gains,” she said.
The Acting Vice Chancellor also inaugurated a Digital X-Ray
Unit to enhance diagnostic accuracy. “It pained me that some students were
misdiagnosed because of faulty equipment. The digital x-ray gives instant and
accurate results, we cannot be marching backward while others move forward,”
she stated.
The Vice Chancellor also commissioned the long-awaited
UNIZIK Microfinance Bank, marking a major milestone in the institution’s quest
to improve financial inclusion, promote staff welfare, and strengthen its
internal revenue system.
In another major welfare gesture, Prof. Arinze-Umobi
commissioned three refurbished staff buses to provide free daily transportation
for university workers.
The buses, which had been written off for auctioning, were
repaired and brought back to life under her directive.
“These buses are not new; they were almost auctioned. I decided
bring them back to life. Each bus now bears the inscription “UNIZIK Staff Bus —
Free,” emphasizing that workers can commute at no cost.
“If staff can come to work and go back home without paying
for transportation, we have indirectly increased their salaries,” she noted,
adding that the initiative could save each worker thousands of naira monthly.
Prof. Arinze-Umobi also unveiled a modern security
surveillance system to curb persistent theft and vandalism within the
university.
At the Pre-Degree Science Programme Campus, Mbaukwu, the
Acting Vice Chancellor said she was appalled by the deplorable condition of
facilities when she first visited.
To address the situation, her administration built modern
kitchen facilities, separate toilets for male and female students, and a
functional borehole with a 6,000-gallon capacity water tank to ensure regular
water supply to hostels and the administrative block.
At the Agulu Campus, which hosts the Faculty of
Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Forensic Department, she supervised the
facelift of students’ hostels, installation of solar power systems, and
provision of sanitary items for female students.
Reflecting on her eventful tenure, Prof. Arinze-Umobi urged
staff and students to remain united and vocal about their needs.
She described UNIZIK as a “blessed university” and called
for continued peace and cooperation.
“Let nobody come and put something that will scatter UNIZIK.
When you remember the name of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe, who fought for all
without ethnic bias, you’ll understand why love should prevail here,” she
concluded.
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