No to protest, please! We must do all we can to ensure that our young people studying at Unical are not unruly.
So far, the displeasure we have expressed on the increased fee is in order but we must not instigate the students against the University Management. The aftermath of #EndSARS is still fresh. Let’s not encourage aberrant behaviour, please. We need the structures and facilities in UNICAL intact.
That said, I have seen videos of the Vice-Chancellor (VC) granting press interview in her effort to justify the newly introduced school charges. Her argument may be correct but for me, not convincing enough.
Let’s look up a few verifiable fact. Apart from ABU Zaria and University of Nigeria, Nsukka, the University of Calabar draws down the highest budgetary provisions and fund releases for expenditures items like personnel cost, overhead cost and capital expenditures among Federal Government-owned Universities in Nigeria.
In fact, in 2021, a total sum of 16.34Billion naira was appropriated and released to UNICAL. This year, 2022, the figures has increased, UNICAL will be receiving 19.84Billion Naira.
Let’s also examine the claims of the VC during her press interview, she claimed that in the current academic session, she admitted 10,000 new students. That suggest that UNICAL has a student population of over 50,000 students in both regular and non-regular programmes. Multiply the old fees by 50,000, i.e, averagely 35,000 naira x 50,000 students = 1.75Billion naira.
All the fees paid by students are used internally for the day-to-day running of the University. Not one kobo is remitted to the FG. What exactly is UNICAL using this money for?
In addition, UNICAL also receives funding that runs into several billion in Naira for infrastructures development from TETFUND and other development partners.
Besides, UNICAL has so many internally revenue generating outfits like the staff school, demonstration school, hotel, conference centre etc. Here, the school is expected to retain 75% revenue and remit only 25% to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The point I am trying to make is that UNICAL has so much money that if prudently put into use, this burden on parents and students will not arise.
Issues like these raises concerns, in less than 1 year, UNICAL has 3 Bursars. What does that suggest? Financial impropriety.
One way to address this issue of increased fees without shouting too much is for good-spirited persons to invoke the provisions of Freedom of Information Act, 2011 and demand for the Published Audited Financial Statement of UNICAL.
This way, this matter will solve itself. I may be wrong. I may not know it all. However, I am open to review alternative and counter narration, please. Accountability!
Otu Otu Ita writes from Calabar.
