Zana Is Approaching UNICAL Development With Passion - Ex-UNICAL Alumni President

By Inyali Peter

The immediate past National President of the University of Calabar, Calabar (UNICAL) Alumni Association, Barr. Ugorji Nwabueze has said that the Vice Chancellor, Professor Zana Akpagu is approaching the development of the institution with passion as an alumnus.

Nwabueze who made the remark while reacting to questions from our reporter on the achievements of the VC so far commended Zana for prioritising the welfare of staff and students.

The former alumni President added that although former Vice Chancellors of the university performed credibly in infrastructural development they completely alienated from the immediate welfare needs of staff and students, an area he said the current VC has given top priority.

While expressing confidence that Zana will fix UNICAL, he added that he has proven them right for insisting that an alumnus of the university must be VC.

He noted that The university rating internationally and nationally has further soared because of stringent academic discipline introduced within the system even as he said under Zana, degrees are no more awarded to the highest bidder.

According to him, "Prof Zana Akpagu is the 10t Vice Chancellor and 1st Alumnus of the University of Calabar to occupy that office. Before now the University has produced Vice Chancellors who have delivered excellently on infrastructural development but completely alienated from the immediate welfare needs of staff and students.

"Malabor, the nostalgic symbol of all malabites and malabresses bled into comatose arising from share neglect. The Alumni National under me after under taking a comprehensive assessment of Malabor and female hostel had to raise alarm requesting that a state of emergency be declared for rehabilitation of Malabor and its environs.

"Prof Zana has declared a state of emergency on the poor infrastructural state of malabor which is the heart beat of the University. Here is a Vice Chancellor who knows the terrain and the gallops there to.

"Zana is approaching the development of the University with passion"

He added that "A new Governing Council that will assist him drive the vision is in place now and we expect so much to happen in the next few years.

"The university rating internationally and nationally has further soared because of stringent academic discipline introduced within the system. Degrees are no more awarded to the highest bidder.Graduates with self confidence and who can globally compete with their peers are emerging. No more China graduates with specialty in Pidging English.

" The university has a befitting face lift in its gate. This is a prelude to the total developmental eclipse that will soon embrace the University. Let us be patient and pray that he will not be hijacked and side tracked by hawks within the system.

"The Alumni as critical stake holders have a burden to ensure he remains focused and dedicated towards the over all interest and development of the University and that will justify our earlier insistence on having a credible alumnus VC and one with capacity not for rhetorics  but to deliver on his promises. Zana will fix UNICAL".