FUTO Develops Sexual Harassment, Plagiarism Policy

Federal University of Technology, Owerri. Image: FUTO

BY CHARLES OGUGBUAJA
In its bid to sanitise the academic system and eradicate sexual harassment, authorities of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), have developed a policy framework to checkmate the harassment of students on campus.

The vice-chancellor, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Eze who disclosed this said: “the document spelt out what constitutes sexual harassment as well as appropriate sanctions for same.

“In the same vein, anti-plagiarism policy and university research policy have been developed and are awaiting approval of the senate and council so as to promote and maintain academic standards and protect intellectual work.”

According to Eze, the institution has established an outfit, which converts wastes to products such as bottles, card-shredded materials to paints, inter -locking and tiles for the universities consumption and later outside the university’s community.

“The university through its environment and waste management committee in collaboration with the departments of polymer and textile engineering and materials and metallurgical engineering has established a mini recycling centre that converts wastes into saleable and useful products.”

“The wastes used are broken bottles and glasses, used plastics bottles into shredded into flakes to produce rugs, pullovers, pen, pet bottles for chemicals; used papers shredded and recycled into toilet rolls and packaging papers.

“I wish to add that the committee on the environment and waste management has also developed a proposal on the generation of electricity from heterogeneous waste materials. This novel proposal is begging for funding and we appeal to donor agencies and corporations to support this project to achieve the first indigenous generation of electricity from waste materials. Interaction with the private sector is going on.

We are optimistic that funding will soon flow in. Our plan is to satisfy our local community and then move to the larger markets.”

On the institution selected among the six institutions developing a proposal for $11 million research and development, he said: “FUTO was among the six federal universities selected to host the world bank sponsored centre of excellence in sustainable procurement, environment and social standards enhancement. The university proposal was outstanding among other proposals that were assessed by NUC panels and the World Bank.

“The project value is over $11 million. This centre of excellence when fully operational will champion research and development of manpower in procurement, environment and social standards. It will interest you to note that this new centre of excellence is coming barely a few months after FUTO was selected as Africa Centre of Excellence in Future Energies and Electrochemical Systems (ACE -FUELS).”


SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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