By; VITALIS UGOH, Calabar
Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) Alumni association has raised alarm that the institution may soon be shutdown over the refusal of the state government to fund its accreditation.
President of the alumni association, Comrade Eyam Abeng, disclosed this to newsmen in Calabar that the University is expecting accreditation team from National University Commission (NUC) next month but the government is yet to release a dine to prepare for the team.
Abeng alleged that the state governor, Sen. Ben Ayade is busy spending money on endorsement rallies across the state at the detriment of the University.
According to him ” even the loan taken for the last accreditation by the university has not been cleared”.
While expressing his disappointment over the seeming government negligence, he called on well meaning Cross Riverians to help the institution to persuade the governor to release funds for the accreditation.
He further said that the accreditation has been postponed twice due to paucity of funds adding that the last one was at the instance of the governor who promised early release of funds to allow the university prepare but has now reneged on his promise.
The President said that “15 out of about 28 undergraduate programmes will be undergoing NUC accreditation by April 2018 and at this point, the Visitor to the University and governor of Cross River State has not released a dine to the University.
“The accreditation has been rescheduled twice and the second time on the instance of the Governor. This 15 programmes cut across multiple faculties except the faculty of communication Technology.
Some of the affected departments are Physiology, Biochemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical/ Electronics Engineering, Chemistry, Architecture, Physics etc. Should the university fail the accreditation, it will spell doom to the University as graduates of such departments will not proceed on NYSC and their certificates not recognized”.
He appealed that “we are calling on the good people of Cross River State to prevail on the governor to do the needful as education is the true bedrock of sustainable development and growth of any society.
“Our appeal is that the Ayade, who is a Professor should not neglect education, the only antidote against poverty”
While noting that N250 million is needed for the accreditation, he added that “CRUTECH is the gate way to the hearts and minds of Cross Riverians as every home either has a graduate as a son or a student as a daughter therefore should not be allowed to die.
“We are particularly concerned and disappointed that the Governor is busy expending money on endorsement where the only state University has no fund for her accreditation. This should not happen in an administration of two Professors who spent their formative years in the University”.
