CRUTECH: Accolades Greet Cornelius Ellah’s Emergence As Mass Communication HOD

• ‘It Came As A Surprise’ – Ellah

By Patrick Obia

“His social media accounts will be flooded with congratulatory messages because he is a jolly good fellow,” said CrossRiverWatch’s Jonathan Ugbal on Friday upon receipt of the news of Mr. Cornelius Ellah’s emergence as acting head, Department of Mass Communication in the Cross River University of Technology.

He posited that Ellah, a consistent and strong voice in the campaign against sex and monetary gratification for grades through his ‘SofaDonDo’ campaign has won the hearts of many, hence, it would be expected that the congratulatory tributes and notes will be more than expected of others.

Mr. Ellah was earlier this week, appointed the acting head of the department, taking over from Dr. Patrick Ineji. He is supposed to serve for a duration of two years until June 2022.

And, just as Ugbal who stressed that; “Cornel will indeed marshall out a plan like a military Colonel poised getting the best out of staff and students,” posited, the tributes have been many as monitored by this Newspaper on some social media platforms.

“Another Feather to the Lodo’s Cap,” wrote Victor Necus-Agba, Mr. Ellah’s mate during his University days earlier in the week, after he was announced the new head of department.

“Congratulations Sir! May your reign be successful and very impactful,” Eileen Inyang will add a day later.

For his wife, Mrs. Linda Ellah, she hopes the appointment which she described as an “elevation,” will be, “an upliftment for integrity, justice and great leadership.”

The Chairman, Association of Cross River Online Journalists, Comrade Edem Darlington does not feel any different.

Also, Inyali Peter, an ex student and publisher of FearlessReports, many graduates of the department feel he is one of the best and promised to write an article about it.

“He’s (sic) a perfect teacher that I love and respect so much,” Inyali wrote.

But, what does this mean for Mr. Ellah?

He told CrossRiverWatch in a telephone interview that his appointment came as a surprise to him. However, he attributed it to hard work, uprightness and integrity.

He said: “It came as a surprise to me because we leave in an environment where people sometime lobby for things. I didn’t lobby, I didn’t ask anybody and I must give credit to those who appointed me; it shows that they are very transparent, they are not part of the lobbying culture. If they were part of that they wouldn’t have thought of me.”

Viewed as ‘time conscious’ by staff and students, the pen pusher and publisher of the blog, LinCornEllah also said he looks forward to making practicals his priority as the Department gears towards National University Commission ( NUC) reaccreditation.

Also, he implored his students to live up to expectation, adding that integrity, hard work and uprightness are vital in the collective dream to take the department to greater heights.

“I feel humbled for the fact that I have been selected among some very very qualified staff; I am not the only qualified staff in the Department, there are some others as well. To have been identified and chip in for this, I feel humbled by that,” Ellah said.

On his plans for the department, he averred that: “I feel challenged because there is work ahead of me; when you are given a new task much is expected of you, those who have appointed me, have appointed me not for a picnic, they have appointed me for work and I feel challenged by that and I feel there is work ahead of me especially when school resume.”

He continued: “As a staff of that Department, just as you mentioned, the practical aspect of studies. I intend to give priority to that, again we are looking ahead of accreditation. We are expecting National University Commission (UNC) to visit. The Department is accredited but to be reaccreditate it, that is a task ahead and much is expected of all such. We really need to equip the Department, put everything in place for that exercise.”

Furthermore, to those who have congratulated him, he expressed optimism that their felicitations shows, “they have good hope for me and I intend to reciprocate such good well, I intend to be myself; the fact they are happy for me, means that they expect me to remain who I am. My promise to them is that, the same Cornelius Ellah they have always known will be the same person, nothing will change me; the only thing is that I will do my best to live up to expectations. So, they too as students have to remain upright; uprightness, integrity matter a lot. Those are the things I expect from my students. If I play that very well, let them emulate me. Together, it will be better.”

NB: 12:00 19/7/2020 – The third paragraph has been edited with the name ‘Maurice’ replaced with ‘Patrick.’