Comfort Isaac
It was a chilly Wednesday evening early August at the University of Uyo Main Campus. As the rains attempted to give way for students and lecturers to go back to their destinations; a slender and anxious looking girl was seen squatting amidst overgrown grasses to answer the call of nature, unperturbed by the prying eyes of passersby. Students, who had finished the day’s examinations were rushing home as it has just begun drizzling. Within few minutes, the girl sauntered from the grasses to where other students were waiting for their turn to have their Computer Based Test (CBT) exams. I approached her. She identified herself as Ekemini Jonah, a first year student. I asked how she got the courage to stay in almost an open place to do what she did. She revealed that the toilet facilities in the school were always locked and students are not allowed to use them. The lack of toilet facilities is not the only problem Jonah faced this Wednesday evening.
Her CBT exam was originally scheduled for 12:00pm but those who were supposed to write theirs the previous day but couldn’t due to technical hitches had to write first, that day, thereby altering the timing of her exams. It was already 5:45pm.
Students write their exams in batches because of dearth of halls and computer systems for the exercise. For the permanent site, only three CBT halls service the whole students while in the town campus, there is only one hall. This means students will have to wait for over six hours before it will get to their turn to sit for the examination.
Jonah’s story is not unique. Many students of University of Uyo face unfathomable challenges such as inadequate lecture theaters; hostels on campus and offices for staff.
This places a burden on the next vice chancellor of the University to prioritize the students welfare, sanitation of the campuses as well as the infrastructural development. A Professor of Criminology, Aniekan Brown says the issue of poor sanitation is a concern and should be addressed immediately. He noted that the outgoing VC, Prof. Ndauyo Nyaudo has worked hard to solve these problems, and urged the new VC, which would be elected in December to take the issue of sanitation and cleanliness seriously. Prof Christopher Ekong, former Dean of Faculty of Social Science, is also worried about the filth and sanitation at UniUyo, and has promised to address them if he becomes the next VC. He is one of the 10 professors who want to succeed Nyaudo.
In addition to dirt, Prof Brown says the university also has accreditation challenges and advises that the new VC should look into cases on no accreditation of some courses. Another lecturer who did not want to be named in this article attributed the unkempt nature of the campuses to absence of university council and pro chancellor for almost one year. He explained that approvals for cutting of grass and other things come from the council saying that, there is a limit to the amount a Vice Chancellor can approve for a contract.
The next Vice Chancellor will also face the problem of outdated resources in the university’s main library. The availability of more recent and high-quality materials in the libraries will draw the interest of individual readers more to the libraries and improve both reading and learning culture among students. The latest texts in the shelves are 2019 edition.
Laboratories also require some attention. Students complain that equipment, consumables are not enough.
Despite the challenges, Uniuyo has made some progress in infrastructural development.
They said since the coast is clear, the next VC should push for employment of both academic and non academic staff apart from championing the infrastructural development of the institution.
