By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

Professor Joseph Ikechebelu on Tuesday assumed office as Acting Vice Chancellor, Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU or UNIZIK), Awka, Anambra State.

He is expected to occupy the position until a substantive Vice Chancellor is appointed.

Reacting to his appointment, Ikechebelu said he will introduce programmes that will motivate students and staff, in what he called HPS² (HPS squared), meaning Happy Progressive Staff and Happy Progressive Students.

According to him, under the system, staff members will be happy because they will be motivated.

While saying that a better atmosphere will be created for learning, Ikechebelu promised to digitalize the system to make admission processes easier, noting that students’ results will be processed in record time.

The VC further promised that when the processes are digitalized students can apply for admission from foreign countries, get admission and arrive the day school reopens.

He added: “We will digitalize UNIZIK to reduce human interference so that the system can work faster.

“We will give a lot of incentives.

“You can stay in London and get admission in UNIZIK and arrive the day the school resumes.

“Already, staff are undergoing training to handle the job. When the processes are completed students will study and graduate in record time and be happy.”

Ikechebelu also promised to tackle insecurity in the university to ensure safety of students and staff and also tackle the electric power supply which had issues in recent time.

He assured that the project which he dubbed, ‘Light up UNIZIK’ will tackle the electricity issue as an emergency so that every part of the university will be powered, even at a cheaper consumption rate.

Ikechebelu who is the former Vice Chancellor in charge of Administration in the university also promised that Artificial intelligence will work in UNIZIK with his leadership.