UNIZIK Acting VC Commissions Renal Therapy Unit, Free Staff Buses

By Praise Chinecherem

Acting Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra state, Prof. Carol Arinze-Umobi, has commissioned series of legacy projects across the institution’s campuses.

The projects’ commissioning was part of activities marking the end of her 6-month tenure with what she described as “a mission to touch lives and restore dignity to learning and working conditions.”

At the UNIZIK Medical Centre, Prof. Arinze-Umobi led the commissioning of the Renal Therapy Unit equipped with modern dialysis machines and a Digital X-Ray Unit, both designed to enhance quality healthcare delivery for students, staff, and the university community.

According to her, the decision to establish the renal therapy unit was inspired by personal loss and the high cost of dialysis in Nigeria.

“I had watched my loved ones die of inability to dialyze because of the cost involved — sixty thousand naira and above, three times a week.

“Even if you have a lot of money, it drains you. So I decided to bring the service closer and make it affordable.”

The Acting VC explained that dialysis will now cost ₦10,000 for staff, ₦12,500 for outsiders, and will be free for students, with sustainability supported through the university’s business ventures.

“While we do business to make money, we should also do business to save lives. We want to calculate not just financial gains but human gains,” she said.

While inaugurating a Digital X-Ray Unit to enhance diagnostic accuracy, Arinze-Umobi said, “It pained me that some students were misdiagnosed because of faulty equipment.

“The digital x-ray gives instant and accurate results — we cannot be marching backward while others move forward,” she stated.

The Vice Chancellor also commissioned the long-awaited UNIZIK Microfinance Bank, marking a major milestone in the institution’s quest to improve financial inclusion, promote staff welfare, and strengthen its internal revenue system.

Prof. Arinze-Umobi, who described the development as “a dream that has finally come true after several years of planning and delay.”

“This is a long-standing vision that has moved from one vice chancellor to another, waiting for the right time to be born. I’m happy that under my watch, it has come to fruition.

The Acting Vice Chancellor expressed optimism that the microfinance bank would contribute to the university’s sustainable development, improve staff motivation, and support entrepreneurial growth among students.

She commended the university management, governing council, and regulatory bodies for their support, adding that the initiative aligns with her administration’s focus on innovation, welfare, and institutional strengthening.

In another major welfare gesture, Prof. Arinze-Umobi commissioned three refurbished staff buses to provide free daily transportation for university workers.

The buses, which had been written off for auctioning, were repaired and brought back to life under her directive.

“These buses are not new; they were almost auctioned. I said, no — bring them back to life. If the engine is bad, change it; if the body is bad, fix it. There’s nothing in a vehicle that cannot be repaired,” she explained.

Each bus now bears the inscription “UNIZIK Staff Bus — Free,” emphasizing that workers can commute at no cost.

“If staff can come to work and go back home without paying for transportation, we have indirectly increased their salaries,” she noted, adding that the initiative could save each worker thousands of naira monthly.

The maintenance of the buses, she said, will be tied to the UNIZIK Ventures and Microfinance Bank for sustainability.

Prof. Arinze-Umobi also unveiled a modern security surveillance system to curb persistent theft and vandalism within the university.

“My university has suffered a lot in the hands of hoodlums — especially cable theft. Every day we heard, ‘VC, they’ve cut the cables.’

“We would never catch them,” she recalled. “Now, with technology, we are monitoring the entire campus from one spot.”

She warned troublemakers to stay away from the university, saying, “Stay clear of UNIZIK and its environment. Carry your hooliganism outside. We want to be civilized here.”

At the Pre-Degree Science Programme Campus, Mbaukwu, the Acting Vice Chancellor said she was appalled by the deplorable condition of facilities when she first visited.

“Students were cooking inside their rooms and using toilets that were nothing to write home about,” she recounted.

To address the situation, her administration built modern kitchen facilities, separate toilets for male and female students, and a functional borehole with a 6,000-gallon capacity water tank to ensure regular water supply to hostels and the administrative block.

“All these are geared towards the welfare of students primarily, and then the staff. A conducive environment enhances learning and wellbeing,” she said.

At the Agulu Campus, which hosts the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Forensic Department, she supervised the facelift of students’ hostels, installation of solar power systems, and provision of sanitary items for female students.

Reflecting on her eventful tenure, Prof. Arinze-Umobi urged staff and students to remain united and vocal about their needs.

She described UNIZIK as a “blessed university” and called for continued peace and cooperation.

“Let nobody come and put something that will scatter UNIZIK. When you remember the name of the great Nnamdi Azikiwe, who fought for all without ethnic bias, you’ll understand why love should prevail here,” she concluded.