The Global President of One Love Foundation and Democracy Observer General of Nigeria, Chief Patrick Osagie Eholor has urged the Vice Chancellor of University of Benin, Prof. Lillian Salami to make concerted effort to address the systematic and infrastructural rot demarkerting the prestigious citadel of learning.
Eholor made the call in a statement on Tuesday, 13th April, in Abuja, while lamenting that successive administration in the institution paid lip service towards addressing the challenges confronting it and that things has even gone worse under the watch of Prof. Salami.
He said the issues of sex for marks, poor electricity and water supply, sorting of courses, inadequate lecture halls, unhygienic hostels and unnecessary interference with the leadership of the SUG are the issues that must be urgently addressed to return the lost glory of the institution.
This, he said, would solve some of the challenges facing the famous citadel of learning in West Africa and beyond.
“We are urging Prof. Salami, the Vice Chancellor of Uniben, to devote more funds made available to her to address some of the challenges facing the only federal university in Edo state. It is only through proper utilisation of funds that we can have adequate human capital and infrastructural development.
“Uniben has suffered from maladministration in the past. This must not be allowed to continue by the present Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lillian Salami.
“We urge the vice chancellor to ensure that Uniben under her Administration tackle sex for marks, poor electricity and water supply, sorting of courses, inadequate lecture halls, unhygienic hostels and unnecessary interference with the leadership of the SUG, making it so inefficient and toothless.
“Uniben is now faced with the shocking phenomenon of declining standards of physical infrastructures and the near-total collapse of basic facilities that ought to be functional in a tertiary institution, to thoughtless demand for fees of varying amounts proposed by the school authorities ahead of logic-a development that is financially squeezing the life out of the innocent students and their parents. From congested lecture halls to inexplicable delay in allocation of hostels to the new students for a whole semester even when the hostel fees were paid before resumption. Clearly, a major action that has caused concern for the students and brought dropping spirits among parents is the seeming neglect of the student’s hostels by the school authority to be overtaken by bushes, making it convivial for reptiles/rodents to struggle for spaces with students. And tragically unique is the revelation by the students that these hostels are left without portable water or electricity due to the school authority’s inability to neither power the school generator nor settle their indebtedness to the Electricity Distribution Company (DISCO) that services the region.
“These are not only verifiable facts but a reality for all to worry about -and the Vice-Chancellor to act upon. Regardless of what others may say, it will not be characterized as an exaggeration to state that the students of this institution are knowledge-hungry; that they are innocently asking for quality and affordable education delivered in a conducive/habitable environment laced with portable water and stable electricity. But as the present situation in the school reveals, one may be propelled to ask; what form of education should parents expect from their children receiving lectures in congested lecture halls and dwells in school hostels with the attributes earlier described? As a matter of fact, each passing day at the University of Benin brings more evidence that the school is facing serious administrative emergencies-that demand immediate actions to sharply reduce the financial pains suffered by both students/parents simply because they went to the University of Benin which as at my last check supposed to be a Federal Government-owned.
“The VC must be told that Uniben has produced important personalities in the country and shouldn’t be reduced to a glorified institution living in past glory. If you do nothing about this, it simply means our youths, and the nation by extension is faced with bleak future. Conversely, if you are able to correct the above challenges; it will be your most powerful accomplishment for earning new respect and emulation.” He said.
