UNICAL Management Donates Mattresses to Students

The management of University of Calabar has donated not less than 3000 new mattresses to the students who reside in the hostel. The donation was done during the median visit of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu to Malabo, the students’ hostel. The mattresses will replace the old ones which had long been infested by bedbugs.

Prof. Zana was accompanied by Prof. Felix Akpan, the Dean of Students as well as other management officials when he paid the visit. Prof. Zana who was on an inspection tour round the University campus made it known that his administration is committed to the development of the university.
It can be recalled that the students of Unical, on 12th October last year, took to the streets to protest poor hostel facilities and nonchalance of the management to take quick action on their welfare. Shortly after his installation as the Vice Chancellor, 1st December 2015, Prof. Zana promised to enhance the hostel condition. This promise built confidence in minds of the students adding to the fact that Prof. Zana is the first Unical alumnus to be the Vice Chancellor.
In a brief interview with Campuslife reporters, Prof. Zana reiterated his commitment to improve on the welfare of students of the university where he was once a student. He said: “you are aware that I am the first alumnus Vice Chancellor, so I have a passion for you because I am one of you. These visits are just indications of our commitment to you. We want to ensure that we do everything possible to improve on the welfare of the students and also to provide a conducive learning environment for them”.

Prof. Zana said plans are on going to bring back contractors handling hostel renovation projects to complete them. “We are doing everything to get back contractors to site. As you can see we are trying to do landscaping, we want to make this place more beautiful. There is a complete plan for beautification of the university so, we want to start by doing some landscaping”, he stated.

When Campuslife asked him about the memo, released by the Dean Students Affairs Prof. Felix Akpan on behalf of the management, which directed all students to vacate their halls of residence within 48 hours, the university Prof. Zana said the directive became necessary to enable fumigation exercise take place in the hostels. “It is not intended to punish the students. We want to fumigate all the hostels. You know it won’t be safe for them to remain there while fumigation is going on because of the effects of the chemicals. You are all aware of the Lassa fever outbreak, that’s what we avoiding. The students will return as soon as the effects of the chemicals are calm”.

Meanwhile some students who spoke to our correspondence, expressed appreciation to the new Vice Chancellor especially for making students’ welfare top on his agenda. Urang Zaknor said “we are quite impressed at the good ambitions of the new Vice Chancellor about our welfare. He is one of us and I’m sure he’ll do everything possible to give our university a face lift. I will also advice him to ensure better students-lecturers relationship”.

To Usang Ofem “Prof. Zana has a good spirit and a better ambition for not just the students but all other members of the university community. I see him take Unical to a greater height. He is the best for us and he’ll do very well. He needs the support of everybody because he cannot do it alone”.                                                                      
Andikan Mfon replied on Facebook that “this is really a good start for the VC. I also wish the VC will discretely promulgate policies that will help to stem the tide of corruption in Unical, especially in the Registry”.

Reported by:
Kingsley Nnabiget