Post-Graduate School

Postgraduate School - Introduction

Postgraduate (PG) programmes commenced in the University in November, 1982 under the supervision of the Senate Postgraduate Degree and Diploma Committee (SPD&DC) until 1985 when the Senate during the 1986/87 session established the Postgraduate School to take over the functions of the committee. Thereafter, the Postgraduate Board was constituted and the Postgraduate School was set up in the 1986/87 session. The first Dean, Prof. R. Kumar, was appointed in 1986.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION (PGSA) RIVERS STSTE UNIVERSITY

The Postgraduate Students’ Association (PGSA) of Rivers State University is the umbrella body that houses Postgraduate Diploma, Masters and Ph.D students of this great citadel of learning. In the Association you will find captains of industries, political juggernauts, business tycoons, oil magnets and other 6well-meaning members of the society at large. PGSA was established in 1985 when the institution got the permission to run postgraduate programmes in the university.
According to the constitution of the Postgraduate Students’ Association (2020) the following are the aims and objectives of the Association: Furthermore, the Association consists of ordinary membership which is automatically conferred on any legitimate student running any of the Postgraduate programmes in the institution and the honorary membership of the Association which may be conferred on those who have proven and distinguished themselves in their field of endeavour and have also invested interest in ensuring the welfare and academics of Postgraduate Students especially in relation with the Association. The Association has over the years recorded monumental achievements in revamping and promoting the welfare of Postgraduate students especially in the provision of infrastructure in alliance with the management of the institution.
In addition to the foregoing, the Association serves as a vehicle to convey policies and implementation of same put in place by management at the students’ level. Overtime, the Association has suffered major setbacks, predominantly lack of funding, gross apathy on the part of Postgraduate Students in the activities of the association. The bureaucratic bottlenecks associated with directly assessing the Association’s dues (funds) posses a limitation in the timely implementation of the needed projects and delivery of campaign promises made by executives. The lack of recognition of the Association in the scheme of affairs is teething issues that requires urgent attention. This has been recurrent because the school organogram does not capture the Association.
Meanwhile things have changed. The proscription of the Association by the school management due to heated internal crisis in the Association also posed a major setback. This led to a care-taker committee led by Mr. Quincy Damiete from 2016 - 2018 According to the history of Rivers State University, “The 1997 Constitution of PGSA is saddled with administrative inefficiencies and overlapping functions thereby retarding smooth running of activities and programmes of the Association. In ensuring the efficient, effective and smooth governance and activities of the Association, the constitution was reviewed by the Comrade Shepherd Fubara led administration on 6th of September, 2020. This was unveiled as part of the activities to mark the 40th anniversary of the university. Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi was then the Dean Students’ Affairs and Professor A.J. Toby was the Dean Postgraduate School.
In 2021 upon resumption of office, the Comrade Ofurum Chibuike led administration designed the first logo for the Association which is still in use till date and has been part of the brand element of the association. The administration went ahead to provide the motto of the Association which reads: “Advancing society through scholarly strives”. In 2022, another administration came into power led by Comrade Opubo Harcourt Wokoma. The administration inherited a hand full of challenges and structural dysfunctionalities that lingered from previous administration that kept our 100 days in office so busy trying to put things in perspective, we are determined to put the Association back on track.
Although all we have in store for the association is yet to come to fruition the administration has succeeded in recording advancement in the following areas in the first 100 days in office.
i)Activation of the Postgraduate Christian Fellowship that was moribund for years.
ii)Harmony amongst the executives and the Postgraduate Representative Council.
The absence of this has bedeviled the Association over the years as it has led to internal crisis.
iii)Successful passage of the Association’s Budget.
This is an offshoot of the first as successive administration previous has found it difficult to achieve because of the internal crisis they have suffered.
iv)Inclusion of the Association in the scheme of Affairs of the school.
Previously the Association was not properly recognized in the school as she is not involved in the Senate ceremonial committee even when Postgraduate Students’ Convocation, Orientation and Induction is different from that of undergraduates.
We succeeded in getting the approval.
v)The Postgraduate Students’ Executives have been given the approval to process during convocation which was not the case ab initio.
vi)Transformation of the Postgraduate students’ Association secretariat.
vii)Introduction of a monthly Brisk-Walk exercise to keep Postgraduate students physically and mentally fit. viii)Reinforcement of the Postgraduate Jolly moment.
The following are some past leaders of the Postgraduate Students’ Association:
1.Dr. Ene Peters (Chairman caretaker Committee, 1991 – 1993)
2.Prof. Isaac Zeb-Obipi (President, 1993 – 1994)
3.Dr. Gogomary Israel Oyet (President 1994 – 1995)
4.Hon. Sunny Adeh (President, 2000 – 2003)
5.Dr. Deo Anamakiri (President, 2003 – 2006)
6.Mr. Peter Ohochukwu (President, 2006 – 2008)
7.Mr. Jolly Karibo (President, 2008 – 2016)
8.Mr. Quincy Damiete (Chairman Caretaker Committee (2016 – 2018)
9.Mr. Shepherd Fubara (President, 2018 – 2019)
10.Mr. Ofurum Chibuike (President, 2020 – 2021
11.Mr. Opubo Harcourt Wokoma (President, 2021 – till date)

The following are the executives Association for the year 2022 when this chronicles was put together.

Objective Of The Unit

Postgraduate programmes are intended to achieve the following:

Deepen the students’ grasp of a chosen field of knowledge
Introduce the students to techniques and tools of research.

Develop the students’ individual and collective spirit and capacity of inquiry to eventually enable them to make significant contributions to a chosen field of knowledge for the benefits of society.

Structure of The Unit

Vice chancellor

Dean, Postgraduate School

Associate Dean’s Office

Dean’s Secretary

Clerical Officers and ITC Officer

Director/Secretary, Postgraduate School

Exams and Records Office

Director’ Secretary

Administrative/Clerical Officer

Deputy Bursar, Postgraduate School

Account’s Office

List Of Staff Data

Name	Rank	Area Of Specialisation	Email
Prof. A.J. Toby	Professor/Dean		toby.adolphus@ust.edu.ng
Prof. O.W. Igwe	Associate/Dean PGS	Law	NIL
Desmond .I. Wosu	Director	Administration	wosudes@yahoo.com
Neeuweh, Apollos D.	Deputy Bursar	Accountant	apollosneeuweh@gmail.com
Onwuanaku, Blessing	Prin. Conf. Sec. I	Secretary	chikordijohn112@gmail.com
Nnadozie, Dick	Senior Asst Registrar	Admin. duties	NIL
Weleh, Ekanem	Asst. Chief Exe. Officer	Admin. duties	NIL
Nwanodi , Esther Frank	Asst. Chief Exec. Officer	Admin. duties	esthernwanodi13@gmail.com
Dan-Jumbo, Felicia V	Prin. Chief. Conf. Sec.	Secretary	NIL
Henrietta, Alalibo	Systems Analyst/ Programmer	IT Officer	henrietta.alalibo@ust.edu.ng
Ekweme, Chisa	Asst. Registrar	Admin. duties	precious2k4u@yahoo.com
Opusunju, Inyingiere Godwin	Admin. Officer II	Admin. duties	inyingi24@gmil.com
Egumah, Eberechi	Admin. Officer II	Admin. duties	ebipatra@gmail.com
Ohaka, Chizindu	Accounting II	Accounts/Finance officer	ohakachizi@gmail.com
Ibiabuo Tammy Kingsley	Higher Executive Officer (Account)	Accounts/Fin. Officer	kingscando@yahoo.com
Echeonwu, Mirabel Ngozi	Snr. Conf. Sec. I	Secretarial duties	mirabellucky@yahoo.com
Kejeh, Grace	Higher Executive Officer	Admin duties	gracekejeh1234@gmail.com
Onyije, Clement E.	Principal Data Processing Officer II	Secretarial duties	NIL
Iboroma, Awolayeofori	Principal Executive Officer	Admin. duties	NIL
LongJohn, Ibelema Blessing	Higher Executive Officer, Computing	Computing	Ibemsfocus45@gmail.com
Briggs, Agatha	Senior Clerical Officer	Admin. duties	darlingbriggs@gmail.com
Ihunwo, Charity	Executive Officer	Admin. duties	Ngebe84@gmail.com
Barnabas, Nwanodi	Head Messenger	Messenger	NIL
Sunday, P. Neebani	Chief Driver	Driver	NIL
Wokoma, Odephoodini	Clerical Attendant	Clerk	Odiniwokoma@yahoo.com
Paul Omereji	Prin. Executive Officer	Admin. duties	NIL
Asime, Zeb-Obipi	Clerical Officer	Clerk	NIL
Anabraba, Wabiaba	Cleaner	Cleaner	wabiabaanabraba@gmail.com
Sokari, Rose	Cleaner	Cleaner	NIL
Omereji, Amarachi	Cleaner	Cleaner	NIL
Juliana Toby	Cleaner	Cleaner

Duties And Responsibilities Of The Unit

The duties of the unit include:

Admission of Postgraduate Students.
Clearance/registration of students.
Processing of students’ result (course work/graduating results).
Processing of students’ transcripts
Recommendation of student’s graduation results for approval by Senate.
Issuance of students’ success letters/Certificates
Verification of Students’ Certificates/Transcripts
Presentation of students’ for graduation at Convocation
Orientation of fresh Postgraduate Students
Formulation of Policies for Postgraduate Programmes
Formulation of Postgraduate guidelines for Dissertation/Thesis writing
The Postgraduate School operates as clearing house for the Departments, Faculties and Institutes.
Regular resolution of students’ complaints.
Liaises with external bodies like NUC and TETFUND in the uplifting of Academic standards and policies of the Postgraduate School.

PROFILE OF CURRENT HEAD OF UNIT

Name	PROFESSOR ADOLPHUS JOSEPH TOBY
Qualification	B.Sc (Banking and Finance), MBA (Banking and Finance), PhD Business Policy (Financial Policy) RSUST, FIPFM (London), MCIB, FIMC, CMC, AMNIM
E-mail/Phone No	toby.adolphus@ust.edu.ng: 234(0) 8033104475

Adolphus Joseph Toby is a Professor of Banking and Corporate Finance and a Fellow, Institute of Professional Financial Managers, London. He is also a registered member of the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria. He obtained his investment analyst certification at the West African Capital Market School, Lagos. He has published widely in high-impact, peer-reviewed academic journals listed on Research gate, Google Scholar, SSRN and SCOPUS.He is author of a number of leading teaching/research books and monographs. He has served in several administrative positions in acting or substantive capacity, including Head of Department of Banking and Finance, Dean of Faculty of Management Sciences, Chairman of Nkpolu-UST Microfinance Bank Ltd, Chairman, Senate Business Committee, and Chairman, Assessments and Graduation Requirements Committee (A&GRC). He also served on the 11^th and 12^th Governing Councils of the University, providing services occasionally to the 13^th Governing Council. He is currently the Dean, Postgraduate School.

Achievements Of The Unit

We have introduced a ServiCom Desk in the Postgraduate School where students and the public can lodge their complaints and obtain regular information on postgraduate activities

There is a strong internal control mechanism to enhance prompt and accurate payment of fees.

Setting up of Thesis and Dissertation libraries in Postgraduate School

Regular conduct of viva voce examinations physically and online (Virtual Studio).

Prompt presentation of results to Senate for award of degrees/diplomas after viva voce examinations.

Online academic activities during Covid-19 Pandemic in 2019/2020 Academic Session

Mounting of part-time programmes in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Library and Information Science, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Law and Faculty of Management Sciences.

Mounting of M.Sc/Ph.D programmes for MBA Students in the Faculty of Management Sciences.

Update of Postgraduate Guidelines for writing of Thesis/Dissertation 2022.

Mounting of M.Sc programme in Biorisk Management.

Upcoming Events

Orientation programme for incoming students for 2021/2022 Academic Session
Gradation of students for 2020/2021 Academic Session

Prospect Of The Unit

The prospect of the Postgraduate School is very bright and more viable today with the new and modern programmes we run.

The students’ population in the Postgraduate School has grown consistently and geometrically which resulted in the graduation of 4,970 Students during the 32^nd Convocation Ceremony. The emphasis on qualitative programme content and delivery is enhancing further our ranking in the comity of Postgraduate Schools/Colleges in Nigeria.