New UNICAL Vice-Chancellor Vows to End Admission Racketeering
On Monday, Professor Offiong Offiong took the oath of office as the 12th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, pledging to end all forms of admission racketeering and fraudulent National Youth Service Corps mobilisation within the institution.
The Governing Council of the University of Calabar, led by Mr Ekpo Udom, had in October announced Offiong as Vice-Chancellor to succeed Professor Florence Obi, whose tenure concluded on Sunday.
At his inauguration ceremony, held at the Godswill Akpabio Conference Centre within the institution, Offiong promised that his five-year tenure would be dedicated to driving innovation, excellence and growth, while “harnessing the collective potentials of the academic community to shape a brighter future for both students, staff, and the broader society.”
He said, “With unwavering dedication and collaborative spirit, I am confident that we will not only achieve greatness but also become a beacon of hope, inspiration, and progress for generations to come. I invite you to join me on this journey so that, together, we can write the next great chapter in the history of the University of Calabar.”
“There will be zero tolerance for indiscipline, including admission racketeering and fraudulent NYSC mobilisation. The Central Admissions Committee will be reactivated immediately and will adhere to JAMB admission protocols,” he noted.
Offiong emphasised his blueprint to consciously rebrand UNICAL as a “centre of serious intellectual engagement and a hub of excellence in science, technology, research and innovation,” stressing that the institution had too often been in the news for the wrong reasons.
“For too long, the University of Calabar has been in the news for the wrong reasons, and its good name has been battered. That narrative ends now. You will no longer be ashamed to say you are a student or staff of the University of Calabar.
“This vision is not mine alone, it is our collective vision. We need people of goodwill with useful contributions to step forward so together we can make UNICAL great again,” he stated.
He urged students to strive meaningfully for academic excellence, assuring them of a conducive environment to realise and explore their full potential, while pledging to lead with integrity, transparency and a listening ear.
“I will be a servant leader for the entire university community. Over the next five years, we will eliminate the conditions that enable extortion and other abuses. It will not be business as usual, there will be no sacred cows. Those who will test our resolve will receive the appropriate response,” Offiong stated.
Professor Offiong, aged 62, is an alumnus of UNICAL, graduating in 1984 with a BSc (Hons) in Chemistry (Second Class division). In 1990, he obtained his PhD in Coordination/Inorganic Chemistry from the same department and institution.
He also holds a Certificate in Equipment Maintenance (1991) from Bristol Polytechnic, Bristol, UK. He began his lecturing career in 1985 after completing his NYSC as a graduate assistant in the Department of Chemistry, and rose to the rank of Professor in Coordination/Inorganic Chemistry in 2002.
