…Calls for Collaboration, Accountability In Nation’s Institutions
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BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT
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Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State’s institutional alignment retreat has ended with a call for reform, collaboration and accountability in nation’s institutions.
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The April retreat marked the beginning of a sustained “AE-FUNAI Rising” drive for institutional excellence.AE-FUNAI Institutional Alignment Retreat was organized by EVACTEL (Ethics, Values and Leadership Enterprise) in partnership with AE-FUNAI’s leadership.
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The 2-day retreat was held at the Re Meritona Hotel banquet hall with 345 participants — including university executives, faculty, staff, and representatives from Globethics (Geneva) and the Nigerian UNESCO Commission — convened to turn the Vice-Chancellor’s vision into action.
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While declaring the 2 Day Retreat open, the State Governor, Builder Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, represented by Professor Grace Umezurike, the Secretary to the Ebonyi State Government, observed that the retreat was strategic move by the AE-FUNAI Management to come up with many levers with fundamental drive that matches the successful execution of great visions in the tertiary educational subsector.
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The SSG, reminding the gathering that she was part of the early formative staff that pioneered teaching and research at AE-FUNAI, congratulated the 4th Vice Chancellor, Professor Nwachukwu, for seeking to establish a new atmosphere for ethics and values to thrive which will carry everybody along and empower his Management to achieve great good for AE-FUNAI staff and students, for Ebonyi State and Nigeria.
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In her address, she assured the gathering that the Governor, Builder Ogbonnaya Nwifuru, is of the belief that the renewed Hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is a already a successful strategic framework that will transform Nigeria and Nigerians through his ethical leadership.
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The governor promised Professor Nwachukwu,the new VC,that the Government of Ebonyi state will align and partner with his vision to ensure that AE FUNAI becomes the centre of ethical leadership and academic excellence globally.
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He said that through a consistent development of the human capital of Ebonyi people that the FON core values will transform the state into the enviable capital of food security and educational excellence.
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The retreat delivered a candid diagnosis of the university’s challenges and showcased clear steps for reform.
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The organizers noted that “AE-FUNAI does not lack aspiration; it suffers from an execution gap” marked by ethical lapses, manual workflows, and slow student services.
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Speaking after the declaration of the retreat open, Professor Benjamin Ozumba, one of the lead Facilitators, drawn by EVACTEL, observed that “ AE FUNAI was very lucky to have Professor Nwachukwu as its Vice Chancellor, since he is part of the great few with incomparable advantage of core experience in university administration, both in Nigeria and outside the country.
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Also speaking at the retreat, Dr Idowu Olagunju, the Executive Secretary of the National Commission for UNESCO,noted that UNESCO has a standard framework that helps the University to manage education,science and culture a transformative higher education.
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According to him “ Every university that is poised for exponential growth such as AE FUNAI must leverage AI and foster strategic partnerships with UNESCO,Collaborating with industry, government, and international bodies to promote institutional relevance and strategic outcomes.
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“It is equally important to align with national frameworks like Nigeria’s Digital Economy Policy and engage organizations such as UNESCO for global best practices.
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Dr Lateef Olagunju further said, “UNESCO fully supports a growing university such as AE-FUNAI on the urgent need to establish Ethical and Policy Frameworks on AI ethics, data privacy, and academic integrity.
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“May I let you know that no university grows in isolation. Partnership is critical, global relevance sacrosanct and best practices remain unavoidable for any university that is desperate for rising in this digital era.”
In his lead presentation, Monsignor Professor Obiora Ike of the Catholic Institute Development and Peace(CIDJAP) was categorical that AE-FUNAI needs character development in the three core areas of teaching, research and community service to enhance the environmental possibilities of achieving the Vice Chancellor Nwachukwu five pointed vision of a rising AE-FUNAI.
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He said, “Education without character and values is incomplete;that it is only through having a Directorate of Ethics and Leadership that the vision of the new VC could aligned with the rest of the staff and students conduct”.
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“Even governments needs workplace ethics training and that is why we need back fully the Vice Chancellor’s vision.He said that soon enough EVACTEL and Globethics,working together will partner full with AE FUNAI to move to the new level in its higher education strivings.
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In working groups, attendees and participants defined five strategic pillars aligned with the Vice-Chancellor’s agenda: Ethical Leadership, Workflow Excellence, Productivity & Merit, Student-Centricity, and Strategic Alignment.
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Mrs Ene Obi, speaking to journalists at the Enugu Airport, while going back to Abuja, after the EVACTEL Retreat at AE-FUNAI said, “ people should begin to observe human and gender rights as core values that should be respected and honored as part of the new University ethical and Ombudsman policy that will come into force.
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Earlier in her presentation, Ene Obi, former Country Representative of UNICEF and Action Aid for Nigeria said that she was comfortable with the Vice Chancellor student-centric rights and values policy, for students welfare is at the heart of the new AE-FUNAI.
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She said universities like AE-FUNAI must be partnered and supported with funds and partnerships to enable the vision to birth successfully for the common good of both staff and students.
Speaking to journalists, EVACTEL Executive Director, Professor Casimir Ani said, “These pillars emphasize moving from selective to universal accountability, digitizing processes with transparent dashboards, aligning staff roles with merit, treating students as the ultimate priority, and ensuring every naira and message advances the university’s mission.
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According to him, the retreat also produced a detailed 100-Day Sprint Action Plan. Key immediate actions include appointing a Director of Ethics, Compliance & Institutional Integrity, activating an interim whistleblower portal and ombudsman email for anonymous reporting, and mandating faster internal services (such as a 48-hour response time for internal mail and a 21-day window for student result uploads).
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“Longer-term initiatives will establish new research institutes, upgrade laboratories and hostels, and fully digitize administrative systems. All actions will be tracked with performance metrics to ensure accountability and transparency.
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“The retreat has ignited a renewed commitment across our university,” said Vice-Chancellor Professor Daniel Nwachukwu. “I am particularly impressed by the clarity of action that emerged — from strengthening our ethics and compliance structures to improving student services. I commend the EVACTEL team for their outstanding work in guiding us through this process”, he stated.
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A participating faculty member added, “The retreat sessions cut through old habits and focused our energies on realistic solutions. The EVACTEL facilitators challenged us to be candid about our problems and helped us craft a clear path forward. I leave the retreat with a renewed sense of hope and accountability.”
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Ani remarked, “Our goal is to help AE-FUNAI turn vision into action. We were honored to work with such a committed leadership team, and we celebrate the practical steps agreed upon. This retreat shows what is possible when ethics and values guide institutional change.”
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AE-FUNAI’s leadership also publicly acknowledged EVACTEL’s role, praising the organizing team for meticulous planning and seamless coordination. Attendees highlighted that the event’s smooth execution and engaging breakout workshops set a high standard for future development initiatives at the university.
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On the next, they said, “The Vice-Chancellor’s office will convene the newly formed Vision and Strategic Execution Team to oversee implementation of the agreed reforms. Progress will be tracked through quarterly reports and review meetings, and participants will reconvene in 100 days to assess impact.
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The EVACTEL (Ethics, Values and Leadership Enterprise) is a specialized institutional development consultancy that strengthens ethical leadership and governance in higher education and instils workplace ethics for greater productivity of public servants, especially where the governors have a structured vision document which the EVACTEL Team helps to execute through a disciplined work force.
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Working with university executives and state government bodies, EVACTEL designs strategic retreats, capacity-building programs, and change-management solutions to align academic institutions with global best practices for integrity, transparency, and excellence.
