Inyali Peter, 25 August 2016
Alumni association of Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) has urged the state government to set up an Education Endowment Fund (EEF) where one per cent of profits before tax of all the firms operating in the state will be devoted to the development of the institution.
National President of the association, Mr. Eyam Abeng stated this on Tuesday, during the institution's annual stakeholders forum which held at the main campus of the university in Calabar.
Abeng who was represented by the National Secretary of the Association Mr. Tony Sylvers noted that with the current economic situation of the state and country, it is necessary for government to be creative and think outside the box on how to generate funds for the university.
While maintaining that subventions from government and the university internally generated revenue which is majorly from fee payment cannot sustain the institution, he stressed that setting up the EEF would be a more sustainable, proactive and forward looking way of supporting the government in addressing challenges of funding infrastructures in tertiary institutions in the state.
The President lauded what he described as "uncommon" achievements of the current management team led by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh in areas of infrastructure, academic as well as the current university ranking which placed CRUTECH above other renowned universities in the country.
He urged stakeholders and well-to-do Cross Riverians to see CRUTECH as their personal project stressing that quality education is the only viable antidote to the many challenges confronting the state and country at large.
According to him, "We want to passionately appeal to all stakeholders on the need to always assist CRUTECH to realize her set goals and objectives through greater synergy, collaboration and partnership.
"CRUTECH graduates are everywhere in the universe and they are also contributing effectively to the socio-economic development of Cross River State and Nigeria at large. Let’s assist to improve and sustain the dreams of the founding fathers of CRUTECH.
"The monumental achievement of this present management are self-evident and written boldly on every wall in CRUTECH and shall continue to be remembered. It is therefore cogent that we should continue to give them our support.
"I want to appeal to the state government to set up an Educational Endowment fund (EEF) which will be used to support CRUTECH and other state own tertiary institutions in the state. All firms operating in Cross River State should be mandated by law to contribute at least one percent (1%) of their profit before tax as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)".
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh stated that while it is cogent for government to play her parts, students and parents must support the efforts of government to actualize the dream of the founding fathers of the institution by promptly paying their school fee.
"Before we blame government, we as stakeholders must devise measures to make our students pay school fee. A university that cannot even collect school fee has no moral justification to ask government for anything so we want stakeholders to empower management to introduce strategies that will make students comply with fee payment", the VC said.
At the end of the meeting, a communiqué was issued granting the management the permission to publish a week to exams, list of students who have paid school fee as the only qualified people to write exams and those who don't pay before the exams, their scripts be separated and burnt.
Inyali Peter
Writes from Calabar
