Calabar – Governor Bassey Otu has assured students, parents and staff of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) that the institution will soon resume academic activities, saying his administration is working to resolve the long-standing problems affecting the university.
Speaking during an interview with media personality Diana Mary Nsan on the programme Dialogue, Governor Otu acknowledged that UNICROSS has faced years of accumulated challenges, many of which existed before his administration came into office.
According to the governor, the university has struggled with issues relating to staff welfare, remuneration, employment, institutional management and labour disputes. He said some staff members have genuine concerns, while labour unions have continued to press for improved welfare and better working conditions.
Governor Otu explained that his administration has been addressing the problems gradually rather than making rushed decisions that could create more difficulties.
He noted that the appointment of a new Vice-Chancellor has already brought noticeable improvements in the institution's financial management, adding that efforts are ongoing to stabilise the university and restore normal academic activities.
The governor also identified the university's multi-campus structure as one of its biggest financial burdens. According to him, operating several campuses requires duplicated infrastructure, administrative expenses and personnel, making the institution far more expensive to manage.
He suggested that a more consolidated campus arrangement would significantly reduce operating costs but admitted that such a decision carries political and social implications that require careful consultation with stakeholders.
Despite the challenges, Governor Otu maintained that his administration remains committed to building a stronger and more sustainable UNICROSS.
Speaking on education generally, the governor described the sector as one of the highest priorities of his administration. He said meaningful improvement in tertiary education must begin with stronger primary and secondary schools, which he said had suffered years of neglect before his government took office.
Governor Otu also revealed that his administration discovered many brilliant students were unable to sit for external examinations simply because they could not afford examination fees.
He described the situation as unacceptable and said the state government decided to pay examination fees for qualified students to ensure that no child loses educational opportunities because of financial hardship.
On teacher development, the governor disclosed that programmes have been introduced to train and retrain teachers across the state. He explained that most of the training would take place during school holidays to avoid disrupting classroom learning.
He further revealed that government discovered major inefficiencies in teacher deployment across the state. According to him, official records show thousands of teachers on the payroll, yet many schools remain seriously understaffed.
Governor Otu said his administration is working to correct the imbalance while also leveraging technology to improve the quality and delivery of education across Cross River State.
The governor expressed optimism that with the ongoing reforms, UNICROSS will soon return to normal operations as efforts continue to strengthen the state's education sector.
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