Day professional administrators proffered solutions to university maladministration

It was a gathering of administrators of universities where ideas were shared to remind university staff about their responsibilities in the citadel of learning. SALIHU OYIBO writes.

The Association of Nigerian University Professional Administrators (ANUPA) is the mouth piece of Professional Administrators in Nigerian Universities. The Federal University Lokoja branch of the association recently held their 2nd training workshop and offered merit awards to some distinguished personalities.

Apparently, ANUPA which is a brain child of the Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) is saddled with the responsibility of  training and retraining of young administrators in Nigerian universities.

However, aside training of members, the association is not a trade union as sometimes been misconstrued, but a forum for mutual education and cross fertilisation of ideas on universities for improved staff productivity all aimed at  promoting and advancing  professional, administrative knowledge as well as best practices in various universities across the country.

Expectedly,  the Federal University Lokoja branch of ANUPA has been striving hard to fulfill this mandate for its staff despite the current harsh economic situation that has crippled activities of many associations in the country.

The 2nd training workshop organised penultimate weeks by ANUPA at the Federal University Lokoja , Adankolo campus featured  erudite scholars who have reached the pinnacle of their chosen careers.

Purpose of workshop enumerated

The three-day workshop was attended by the registry staff of the university and many invitees from other universities,  but the vice chancellor of the institution, Professor Angela Freeman Miri was though unavoidably absent, but was ably represented by the dean Faculty of Social Sciences, Professor Rotimi Ajayi.

Obviously, the 2019 ANUPA programme commenced with awareness campaign and picnic to herald the 2019 activities of the association.

Addressing the participants,  the chairman of ANUPA Federal University Lokoja branch, Mr Vincent Ifedayo Ojo, said the theme of the 2019 workshop which is on ‘Ethics and Values in the University System: Sustaining the Tradition by the Professional Administrators’ was carefully chosen in view of its relevance to them as administrative officers who are custodians of the rules and regulations of the institution.

Ojo noted that it is their considered opinion that the ethics and values should be sustained, maintained and protected jealously, assuring that ANUPA in the university branch would not relent in its efforts at ensuring that the key mandate of the association which is capacity building of its members is given due consideration.

According to him “We are fully dedicated and committed to the administrative excellence in our branch. Our main focus is constant training and re-training of our members under the leadership of ANUPA executive council; all our members have been fully sponsored to attend one training programme or the other in order to improve our skills as professional administrators.

“Obviously no university can thrive and actualise its objective where professional administrators are not well trained to keep up with global practice and as professional administrators, there is need for constant knowledge update and enhanced professionalism in the conducts of our duties.

“Since the inception of our executives in 2015  to date, we are able to train all our members for effective service delivery through conferences, seminars, workshops within and outside the state and in-house training/paper presentations to improve the knowledge and efficiency of the registry staff.

“We purchased and distributed laptop computers to some of our staff to enhance their knowledge of ICT of which they pay back gradually to enable others benefit from the scheme.

“This forum therefore provides a veritable platform for learning through productive engagement with our resource persons,” he noted.

While commending the vice chancellor Professor Miri, the registrar, Mr Usman Suleman Obansa and the management of the institution for the support accorded the association for the conduct of the workshop, the ANUPA chairman acknowledged the enthusiasm and commitment with which the local organising committee handled the preparation and execution of the 2019 workshop, saying the lectures have greatly improve their knowledge.

Academic staff challenged

In a paper presented by Mr Ayorinde O Ogunruku, titled: Globalisation and Universities in Nigeria – Positioning the Registry for Relevance in the 21st Century, Ogunruku said for global competitiveness, academic officers need to build capacities for translating the academic values of their institutions into realities as well as  offering quality advice that would transform the academic activities of the university.

Ogunruku , a former registrar, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife in Oyo state, advised that the registry department of universities should be equipped and their functions computerised to facilitate quick, concise and correct information.

He urged the government to  improve funding of  universities in order to discourage underhand practices, noting that  universities need to enact codes of conduct for students, faculties and administrators to guide and structure behaviours.

He further suggested that registry staff should be exposure to modern management techniques that would make them outstanding in the efficient utilisation of human, material and financial resources towards the attainment of a university’s objectives of teaching, research and community service.

“They should be ardent in human capacity mobilisation and utilisation in an era that is characterised by the ethos of efficiency, effectiveness and  ICT compliance in a democratic norm,” he said.

Succession plan canvassed

Also in a paper titled: ‘Organs of Governance, the Registrar as Symbol of Authority’ presented by Chief Mojisola Oladipo, a former registrar of University of Ibadan, he averred that a leader that does not take responsibility for his actions and even those of his subordinates, but blames everything and everyone else has lost legitimate claim to leadership and authority.

Chief Oladipo added that a  registrar with relevant knowledge and skills but exhibits inappropriate attitude may be a major stumbling block to the progress of a university.

She  therefore advised that  the system should  commit itself to appointing the best talents into that position and into the registry as a department and commit to continuous leadership and capacity development programmes.

According to her, the right tools, including computers, should be provided for the entire registry department that the administrators should be encouraged to own modern and correct technology appropriate to their functions while also being trained in the appropriate use of such technologies.

“A strong succession plan should be put in place to retain talent and

exposure through international and national conferences, saying workshops are useful for broadening one’s world view and observing best practices. Even registrars need refresher courses,” she advised.

Concluding her paper presentation, Mrs Ladipo said that the authority of a registrar is a collective effort which is dependent on the responsibilities of that office and the cooperation of the subordinates, noting that there can be no authority without responsibility and legitimacy.

However, the highlight of the programme was the presentation of merit awards to three distinguished personalities. A Royal Peace Award was conferred on Maigerin Lokoja, Alhaji Kabiru Maikarfi II while the head of service, Kogi state, Mrs Deborah Ogunmola and the deputy vice chancellor of the university, Professor Makanjuola Osagbemi, were also given awards.

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