Against all permutations, the ranking of the Imo State University, Owerri, Imo State, has fallen drastically among about eighty Universities in Nigeria who were ranked by the Cyber Metrics Laboratory of the Spanish Research Council.
According to the ranking, IMSU came a distance Sixty Two (62) position, with Obafemi Awolowo University sitting at the top on the log, University of Agriculture Abeokuta second, University of Lagos, third, and University of Nigeria Nsukka, fourth.
Trumpeta discoveries unveiled that the research institute based its findings on Nigerian Rank (RN), African Rank (AR), World Rank (WR), Presence Rank (PR), Impact Rank (IR), Openness Rank (OR) and Excellent Rank (ER).
The latest ranking of IMSU did not surprise many observers who said that the worst is yet to come, as a result of the free education policy introduced in the state, which gives more attention to money making in the Institution, than qualification and opportunity for more intake of students of Imo extraction.
Trumpeta learnt that some years ago, under Prof Anthony Anwuka, and Prof Okonkwo as Vice Chancellors respectively, IMSU was ranked among the best six Universities in Nigeria.
But recently, it was reported that some faculties in the Institution lost their accreditations following the National University Commission, NUC, findings over poor funding and obsolete facilities.
However, Trumpeta investigation lately revealed poor academic environment with dilapidated structures even as the present administration in Imo has introduce tuition free policy in IMSU.
It was learnt that in a bid to rake in more funds from new students, more admission chances were given to students from other states who pay heavy school fees and a few vacant places for students of Imo extraction whose school fees are subsidized by the State Government. This short-fall in admission of Imo born students is against the norm and thinking of the founders of the Institution, which was floated to give Imo students opportunity to acquire university education.
When Trumpeta visited the Institution, most of the Lecturers who spoke to the Newspaper under anonymity asked the Government to take a deep look into the affairs of the Institution as the academic standard of the University is falling by the day.
A Lecturer in the Law Faculty, (which is facing a drastic measure from the NUC sanction) said that if care is not taken, politics will ruin IMSU, because each State Governor prefers to appoint a Vice Chancellor from his own zone, instead of looking at qualification and merit.
Some of the students lamented the poor learning environment of the Institution. They appealed to the State Governor, to relocate IMSU to a permanent and serene environment conducive for learning, and not the present site at the centre of Owerri Town.
When Trumpeta put a call across to the IMSU Public Relations Officer, Mr Ralph Njoku-Obi, the phone rang repeatedly without response.
