There are strong indications that the proposed commencement of a new University by the Imo State Government named, University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, UAES, may suffer serious setback as it has emerged that there is nothing tangible to show take off of the Institution months after Imo State Government has assured of the University.
The administration of Senator Hope Uzodinma had created a new University sited at the Umuagwo campus of the Imo State Polytechnic.
While plans have commenced to take the Imo State Polytechnic to a fresh location at the Omuma Oru East LGA hometown of Uzodinma, nothing suggesting commencement of a new varsity at the old site in Umuagwo can be seen.
Against the promise of the governor who after signing into law, the new University Law said it would begin academic session by September this year. Unfortunately, the Higher Institution is yet to get an appointed Vice Chancellor, Register and other Principal officers to run the affairs of the school in November.
Recall that the National Universities Commission, NUC, had visited Imo State earlier to give approval for commencement.
It was expected that after the governor had showed serious interest to allow the school begin academic session, the VC, Register and others would have been appointed by now.
Trumpeta also noticed that months after a public advert for vacancies seeking teaching and non teaching staff about the University nothing has been done. Rather, the State Government has been speedily putting arrangements for the take off of the Imo Polytechnic new campuses at Omuma and that of Ikeduru, where the Deputy Governor hails from .
A visit by our correspondent showed that the new University is yet to have signs of commencement fuelling fears that the poor state of government purse may disrupt the take off.
It was further gathered that no take off grant from the State Government needed for upgrading of the existing facilities for a University status has been recorded.
There are fears that the University may be a day dream project of the Uzodinma Government judging from the approach of the governor to the commencement plan.
A top Government House source in Owerri who doesn’t want to be mentioned fingered lack of funds as the cause of zero activity about the Higher Institution.
The source sounded skeptical about funding of the new University and likely to bring in private operators to run the school.
