Emmanuel Ogar|25 September 2016
2011 was at its infant phase and beaming with bright smiles. It was bursting of hopes and great expectations for all and sundry. It was radiating parallel beam of discrete bundle of rays. Our optimism wasn’t as emaciated as it was in the previous academic session. Malabites and Malabresses were back from the yuletide. The then Vice Chancellor, Prof. James Epoke was newer and even fresher than the new entrants. He was just a month and few weeks old in office as VC.
After he was given a warmest malabitic welcome by students in the Armed-less Republik of Malabor, he went and increased tuition fees to the chagrin of all students and parents. He tagged it Development Levy. On January 24th, 2011, I wrote an open letter to him. That was the inception of all manner of threats I faced in Unical. In fact, threat was my daily companion. Below is the letter:
Dear Sir,
OPEN LETTER TO THE VICE CHANCELLOR: A HUMBLE REQUEST FOR ELUCIDATION.
It creates in me a great joy to express my opinion to you for few occasions since you became our amiable Vice Chancellor within two months. The first was contained in the felicitation letter I wrote to you shortly after your divine electoral victory if at all the letter was actually delivered to you and this is the second opportunity. I am one of those students’ electorates who would have exercised his franchise in your favour if students were to have voted. I was exceedingly excited for you.
But presently, I am disturbed, indeed very disturbed. However, as a patriotic citizen of Nigeria (Republik of Malabor) whose right to free education has been severely threatened by the University’s council over the fee hike, I find it absolutely imperative to make a compliant to you or rather make some requests.
From the aforementioned, do I make bold to convey to you my concern over recent happenings in our citadel of academic excellence (Unical) with particular reference to a number of actions taken on your behalf while you traveled abroad to sign the Memorandum of Understanding with one of the best Universities in the United States of America which I would not make myself a paragon to consider it illegal, unconstitutional but I feel that it is a unilateral decision taken without taking into cognizance the recoiling effects on the students and the students’ parents.
My dear Vice Chancellor, such actions include the increment of school charges and the forceful order given to the institution’s coercive apparatus to evacuate students that had resumed for the new academic session from their hostels of residence as against the information made by our beloved mother, Dr. (Mrs.) Julia D. Omang (Registrar) on 21st December, 2010 that the school shall resume on 14th and 17th January for both returning (old) students and new entrants (freshers) respectively.
Again, the intrusion of students’ privacies which led to the missing, stealing and destruction of students’ properties worth millions of Naira by overzealous Surveillance personnel that were sent to the hostels was, and is tantamount to the fundamental and human rights of these hapless students; is a thing of great concern. I pray that appropriate precautionary measures should be taken and a deserved priority attention be given so that such things should not reoccur again.
Indeed, the students were so pugnacious when the news of the skyrocketed school charges rent the airwaves and students were seen in groups, individual and in galactic clusters discussing in sympathy to see if whether problem discussed is problem solved. And at that moment they needed chilling answers that could propitiate their aggression(s). It is my candid and pellucid believe that these actions are capable of raising tension; launching of unwanted particles on motion and exacerbating the current political challenges facing our one and only country. And most especially during this period of general elections.
Sincerely speaking, you and I know very well that those disgruntled politicians who lost out from their various primaries elections are searching for the tiniest opportunity to wreak havoc in the country which Unical and Cross River State are not immune or exempted.
At this juncture Sir, I solicit to crave your indulgence to refer you to THE NATION THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 2010 publication concerning the University of Ado-Ekiti (UNAD) students’ protest over increased fees and the concomitant aftermath on Ekiti indigenes and her economy while the protest lasted; or THE NATION THURSDAY, JANUARY 20, 2011, that reported the loggerheads between management and students over fee hike in Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
What about the University of Port Harcourt crisis not to talk about the famous University of Nigeria Nsukka mayhem. I chose to mention but a few cases because the list could go on and on. I may not be the best student but I am proud of my malabitic tendencies. Students of the University of Calabar are people of intellectual capability— ordinary prudence and are recognized all over the universe for their reasonable aksion (action). Permit me to salute them for maintaining tranquility in your absence and while this issue is undergoing the round table process of settlement.
Development levy in any institution is paramount and sine qua non no doubt. But when it becomes questionable and disputable, it is now difficult to comprehend. The percentage increment is 50-60% from Institutes to Faculties. I want Unical to be developed like Harvard, Oxford and Cambridge Universities of this world.
My questions follows thus:
1. Must the development levy be paid by the students?
2. If yes, why must it be so exorbitant
3. What happened to other moribund projects?
4. The NUC Data fund, is it a sessional payment?
5. If forty-five thousand (45,000) Unical students pays four hundred and fifty billion Naira (N450, 000,000,000) as development levy, why should they pay forty-five million Naira (N45, 000,000) for endowment charges?
6. If forty-five thousand students pay ninety million Naira (N90, 000,000) for Utility charges, is the forty-five million Naira (N45, 000,000) for sanitation charges paid by forty-five thousand students (45,000) not part of what the learned people called utility charges
7. If business operators outside Unical environment could produce quality identity card for N300 and N350 for students, why should the school charge N500 for substandard identity card?
8. Why should I continue to be paying N1, 300 for Medical Referral and Medical fee when I have never been rendered such services before?
9. When will the school reimburses me the money I have been paying for Medical and Medical fees for years which has not been rendered to me
10. How many students have been indemnified by students’ welfare Insurance Scheme companies (Anchor, Lassaco and Union Insurance companies)?
11. Before now, every Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm was lecture-free period to enable students engage actively in sporting activities. What is wrong now?
12. How long shall the feverish birds (students) tremble in silence before their keepers (management)?
My dearest Vice Chancellor, I know for certainty that you are only but just a member of the school council which is the supreme governing authority of the University responsible for making decisions or policies which have financial implications; the general management of the affairs of the University and in particular the control of the property and expenditure of the University as contained in page 6, section 2 of the 2006 student handbook.
May I use this medium to beg the school Governing Council; Senate, Congregation, Convocation, Faculty Board, Departmental Board, Academic Planning Unit, Financial Planning Unit and Security Department that when decisions are to be taken that concern students directly or indirectly, students opinions should be taken into consideration. Because as you and I knows, majority of Unical students are less privileged and Cross River State is still among educationally less developed states in Nigeria educational map.
If being Oliver Twist is a crime, Sir permit me to commit it. On your permission, I beg that:
i. Staff payment of salaries should be prompt and increased with improved condition services.
ii. Adequate Arts and Science laboratories in the Universities be improved.
iii. Sporting facilities necessary for both intellectual and physical development should be improved and provided.
iv. A special ad-hoc committee should be constituted to investigate those insurance companies handling the Students’ Welfare Insurance Scheme and the Students’ Union Government bank account.
v. The acts of parliament of the Students’ Union Government should be strictly followed.
vi. Every last Friday and Sunday of the month be declared special days for prayers for the University of Calabar and Nigeria by Christians and Muslims.
vii. All banks transacting business with the University of Calabar be compelled to establish projects in Unical just as they have been doing in Unilag; Uniport, Uniben, UI, Nsukka and OAU etc.
viii. No student should be brutalized by security officer(s) under any flimsy guise as it was abysmally observed in the previous SUG election.
ix. The press on campus should be supported because of their role in nation building.
x. The reroofing of students’ centre should not only stop there but be extended to Malabor refectory.
Nevertheless, as you prepare to take Unical to a lofty height, I pray that the Almighty God will free us from enmity, disunity, indignity, iniquity, and calamity and grant us the grace to be called His children. I also pray that God will grant you favour, protect your family and bless our graduates to be preferred in the labour (favour) market. May the wisdom of God rest on you and your team of administrators.
My highest regards to you and members of the Unical community.
Comr. Ogar, Emmanuel Oko.
*When this letter was delivered to the Vice Chancellor, he called me and questioned how I got my information. He asked me how I knew the population of Unical students. He scolded me and said that my write-ups were making him uncomfortable. He said he was not employed by Federal Government to be reading 4 to 5 pages of my letters. That he was receiving disturbing calls and mails from prominent people I equally forwarded copies of the letters I wrote him for their perusal. That during my matriculation, I took an oath not to write any memo to the public without the consent of the registrar.
I could recall vividly how he sprang up from his chair in his office and angrily approached me. When he got an inch close to me, his eyes were more reddish than the flame of brimstone. His arms were raise and I could see his veins pulling out from the muscles. He almost rip me apart.
The stories continued…
