The Vice Chancellor of University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, decried glitches challenging her administration at the 6th convocation ceremony of the University that took place in Abraham Ordia Stadium, Calabar on Friday.
Professor Obi, While addressing the participants and graduands of the event, recounted the achievement and stumbling blocks of her administration since 2020.
She enumerated the challenges confronting her administration as a result of lack of funds. Some of these problems include spending part of the internally generated revenue for electricity, hence, the University struggles to meet other important need.
She mentioned that the University needs a standard senate building befitting of second generation university of outstanding.
The Vice Chancellor said in the past few years, the University has been without a central library due to the major structural defect and appeal for a special intervention from TETFUND as there is no University without a functional library.
She added that within the population of over 36,000 students, University of Calabar has only 2,400 bed spaces for the accomodation of students which accounts for less than 5 percent of students who should be accommodated.
“We use this opportunity to appeal to individuals to intervene in building hostel accommodation. The University is ready to give all the cooperation to individual or corporate body to achieve this.” She said.
Meanwhile, speaking on her achievement in the past two years, the Vice Chancellor said graduands have their certificates and academic transcripts ready to enable them utilize opportunities for further studies and job placement around the world.
Professor Obi made it known that the ever expanding student population in the University has it concomitant consequence of inadequate facilities for research, teaching and learning and her administration’s commitment to fill in these gaps have made it a benevolent of intervention funds.
Hence the completion of lecture pavilions and office complexes, two student hostels, massive renovation and furnishing of classrooms and lecture halls, provision of street light to illuminate the University as well as internet and intranet facilities for seamless operation.