Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, is to adopt a single campus structure from May 2022, to ease cost of administration and ensure better service delivery.
Gov. David Umahi made the disclosure on Monday during a working visit to the university’s permanent site and an interactive session with both staff members and students.
Umahi said that his administration was favourably disposed to a single-campus structure for the university, as against its current multi-campus structure.
“The first batch from the College of Agricultural Sciences campus should move to the permanent site by the end of February 2022, while the rest should move by May.
“We have asked the university’s management to evolve ways of utilising the abandoned modern hostel building for the Faculty of Law.
“The building has been abandoned for more than seven years and we have subsequently revoked the contract,” he said.
Umahi, however, condemned what he called excessive employment, especially of non-academic staff, by the university, describing it as ‘politically-motivated.’
“You are employing your brothers and sisters, thinking you are doing them good but you are instead punishing them.
“I have not employed any single person because what we pay is small and it will be increasing the burden.
“You can give me the university to run if you cannot manage it and I will reduce the size of the non-academic staff by 80 per cent,” he said.
Although Umahi passed a vote of confidence in the institution’s management, he, however, urged it to improve on maintaining its existing facilities and environmental cleanliness.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof.Chigozie Ogbu, thanked the governor for the visit, noting that it would bring good tidings to the institution.
“We want to inform you that we have successfully concluded the 2019/2020/2021 academic sessions, which were disrupted by the COVID 19 lockdown.
“Most institutions skipped some sessions as a result of the development but we have continued to excel in academics and related endeavours,” he said.
Ogbu informed Umahi that the institution had paid its staff members 100 per cent of salaries between October and December and appealed for more assistance to offset the arrears of shortfalls from past payments. (NAN)
