[size=14pt]US. varsity appoints Nigerian Vice Chancellor[/size]

THE Board of Supervisors of the Southern University System has announced the appointment of Dr. Victor Ukpolo as the seventh Vice-Chancellor for Southern University, New Orleans, USA.



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Until his recent appointment, the 53-year-old Ph.D. Ukpolo served the Southern University System as Vice President for academic and student affairs for three years.

Other posts include Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs at California State University, Los Angeles; Interim Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs/Special Assistant to the Chancellor for Academic Research for the Tennessee Board of Regents; and various administrative posts at Austin Peay State University.

He started his academic career as an Assistant Professor of Economics at Austin Peay State University, in Tennessee, USA and after serving approximately 10 years and attaining the level of Professorship, he was promoted to serve the central administration of the university as Executive Assistant to the President, which became his first administrative assignment.

Ukpolo, a graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park, Md., received both a Master of Arts and Doctorate of Philosophy degrees from The American University.

An economist, he is a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities' Committee on Economic and Workforce Development, the Business Council of New Orleans & the River Region, and a board member of the Algiers (New Orleans) Economic Development Foundation.

"I came to America as a young adult after high school at United Christian Secondary Commercial School at Apapa, blessed with all the tools (both from home and from school) to succeed if given the opportunity.

America provided that opportunity for me to fulfill my dream. In order to make ends meet upon my arrival, I picked several odd jobs dish-washer in a Chinese restaurant in Washington DC, a security guard in an office building in downtown Washington DC, and then a taxi driver. While doing all these odd jobs, I never lost focus on my ultimate goal. So, you might say that I moved from a dish-washer to being a Chancellor of a university, which I believe is a testament to having the right kind of values -hardwork, dedication, honesty, discipline and just doing the right thing at all times," said Ukpolo.

http://odili.net/news/source/2008/aug/12/40.html

This is another Success Story in America. It is not easy to make it here. I mean im constantly reminded on how my parents sacrificed and suffered to put themselves through college and start a family. So i view them as inspiration. I mean when im studying for exams and I feel i can't do this, i just remember my parents and suck up the drama and get to it.

Nwanna jisie ikeooo, dalu!

CONGRATS TO HIM!!

What an inspiration!!

WTF. I was hoping that they had actually given a real nigerian, born, bred and living in nigeria the job. Seems i was hoping too much. oh well, seems we have to live and work in their country in order to make it.

WTF. I was hoping that they had actually given a real nigerian, born, bred and living in nigeria the job. Seems i was hoping too much. oh well, seems we have to live and work in their country in order to make it.

Something is seriously wrong with your head. How can they appoint a Nigerian living and working in his village to become a VC/president in an American university? Because you think they don't have qualified personells for the job? Do you even think they'll go to another city here in the US to contract someone who hasn't been involved with the university for years? This place is not Nigeria where anybody can be president over night.

thanks Deepzone for giving him the needed and deserved reply. with the way the US economy is right now and how difficult it is to find a job, then you should know Dr. Victor has really done a good job to be given this dignified job, a Nigerian for that matter . kudos to him, this are the kind of people i look up to as motivators.

thanks Deepzone for given him the needed and deserved reply. with the way the US economy is right now and how difficult it is to find a job, then you should know Dr. Victor has really done a good job to be given this dignified job, a Nigerian for that matter . kudos to him, this are the kind of people i look up to as motivators.

You're welcome. It's obvious that so many juveniles enter Nairaland whenever their parents go to bed.

One would think that the Nigerian in question is a proper Nigerian and not an American Nigerian.

Anyways, i wish him luck and hope he's going to keep making differences over there unlike his randy counterparts in Nigeria.

One would think that the Nigerian in question is a proper Nigerian and not an American Nigerian.

What is the difference between a proper Nigerian and an American Nigerian? So,if I become a VC here tomorrow, you'll say am not a proper Nigerian? What makes you think the school should come to Nigeria to pick a VC instead of looking around their area? You really think this job is rocket science?

thanks Deepzone for giving him the needed and deserved reply.

@ Dreeldee If this is how you respond to every opinion or criticism, am really sorry for you. A different approach will be much better.

Something is seriously wrong with your head

@ Deepzone Why don't you check yours before opening your mouth. If you don't like what i say, shut the fk up. Am entitiled to my opinions even if you don't like it.

How can they appoint a Nigerian living and working in his village to become a VC/president in an American university? Because you think they don't have qualified personells for the job? Do you even think they'll go to another city here in the US to contract someone who hasn't been involved with the university for years? This place is not Nigeria where anybody can be president over night.

@ Deepzone My sentiments exactly. Whats so special about given a nigerian a job as a vc in the us ? Mind you, i am not saying he doesn't deserve it but whats so special about it when you practically have to live and work there for a long time. They could have given it to a ghanian, senegalese etc and i wouldnt be surprised. Are you saying that there are no academicians in nigeria who cannot hold their own or do you honestly believe that every nigerian university is a village. When i saw the heading i was proud that one of our own had made it only to find out that he had been living and working there for a long time (which is not a bad thing). Please in the future don't come out with guns blazing at anybody. One love. 

One would think that the Nigerian in question is a proper Nigerian and not an American Nigerian.

@ Nuzo My thoughts exactly

well, im with nuzo on this one. i actually thought he was a proper nigerian and not one thats spent practically the whole of life in the states.
nonetheless, i still throway salute. e no easy

samir101ng:

@ Dreeldee If this is how you respond to every opinion or criticism, am really sorry for you. A different approach will be much better.

Please be sorry for yourself because i don't need you to be for me. What makes u think he's the only qualified person for the job? obviously, someone else does and the fact still remains that whether he has lived in America all his life or vice versa, he's still a Nigerian and we should be proud that our own his making it big even amidst the criticism you face in this side of the world for just being a Nigerian.

@ Deepzone My sentiments exactly. Whats so special about given a nigerian a job as a vc in the us ? Mind you, i am not saying he doesn't deserve it but whats so special about it when you practically have to live and work there for a long time. They could have given it to a ghanian, senegalese etc and i wouldnt be surprised. Are you saying that there are no academicians in nigeria who cannot hold their own or do you honestly believe that every nigerian university is a village. When i saw the heading i was proud that one of our own had made it only to find out that he had been living and working there for a long time (which is not a bad thing). Please in the future don't come out with guns blazing at anybody. One love

First and foremost, I don't know why you guys are trying so hard to strip him of his Nigerians citizenship. There is no place in the article that said he was born and bred in the US, he prolly came here as an undergraduate like most of us, so why strip him of his citizenship because he's been here for long besides, being an ibo man, he must've been keeping touch with his home soil all these while(Lol, at least during xmas).

He vehemently worked for it and am preety sure the university is a predominantly black one. Imagine the politics and how difficult it is in Nigeria to be a VC by an indigene, how much less a non indigene. How many Hausa professors have you seen heading UI or UNN by election? How many yoruba professors have you seen heading Bayero University or Unizik? How many ibo professors except Eni Njoku that was the 1st Unilag VC that has been a VC in Ui,Ife or Unilag? I never said there are no qualifies lecturers in Nigeria for the job but it just don't work that way. How many oyibo VC's do you have in Nigeria? Then imagine an oyibo/foreigner to be a VC in Naija?, he must've taught and worked in the school for years, beaten all odds and still stay high. So, it's a big deal and a landmark achievement. Even though he's a naturalized American citizen, that foreign stigma will still be following him for the rest of his life unless he loses that accent.

I believe what they mean is that the title should say

US Varsity Appoints A Nigerian As A Vice Chancellor. Not a "Nigerian Vice Chancellor", one would think the person is presently in Nigeria.

onyinye,  

This is another Success Story in America.

 That one in million, he was just given for publicity.

I believe what they mean is that the title should say

US Varsity Appoints A Nigerian As A Vice Chancellor. Not a "Nigerian Vice Chancellor", one would think the person is presently in Nigeria.

This explanation would've saved us lots of stress but it just came too late. 5 stars.

For bekee to allow you rule over them, there must something charismatic about you. They may pay you heavily but certain positions are reserved for them but I don't blame them for that afterall we dey doam for Naija.

They may pay you heavily but certain positions are reserved for them but I don't blame them for that afterall we dey doam for Naija.

Thank you.