Without beating about the bush, I’ll like to state in
categorical terms that I’m highly disappointed in the Vice chancellor of the
Cross River state university of technology. This was an institution that was
started during the Donald Duke administration (from the old PolyCal), grew in
strength under successive (University) administrations but seems to have gone
into an administrative relapse under Professor Anthony Owan-Enoh, one of the
famous Owan-Enoh brothers. My grouse with him at the moment is borne out of the
fact that he has abandoned over seven CRUTECH lecturers of Cross River origin
to their fates in the United Kingdom. What actually happened was this, these
young vibrant lecturer-students were sent out to the UK to study for their
PhD’s by the university in collaboration with the TETFUND scheme circa 2013.
TETFUND usually pays upfront, the entire school fees for the duration of the
program into the University’s account. They also mandate the University to
immediately transfer the money in its entirety to the scholars overseas
account. But what did Professor Anthony in his wisdom do? I learnt that he left
the money in the school’s Nigerian account (to grow???) under the guise that
scholars often absconded without completing their programs once they were paid
the bulk monies at once- hence, he decided to be paying yearly(three
instalments). The right thing to do if the VC was grappling with trust issues
would have been to establish contact with their various foreign schools like
the PTDF and NDDC do and pay the equivalent of the tuition into the school’s
account if the VC isn’t it? And then keep the living expense remainder in
Nigeria and transfer to them annually as he so wished. Professor Anthony
Owan-Enoh with all his years of exposure to the global academia can easily
establish contact with any school in the UK and come to such an agreement- or
even a more flexible one but he failed to do so and now that it has backfired
he has abandoned the students and wants them to bear the brunt of his incompetence.
The backfire: Due to the current economic crisis, the Naira
lost its value to the pound by almost half. What that implies is, the money
kept by the VC in Nigeria could only cater to 2 years tuition as the Naira has
lost so much value and now over seven Cross Riverians are left gasping for
their financial breaths in the UK. Anyone who has studied in the UK can relate
to what I’m saying- because unlike Canada or the US where you can easily get a
scholarship due to the huge endowment funds that the universities there have,
the UK’s economy thrives on educational tourism. I’ve gathered authoritatively
that the stranded students have been ‘threatened’ by both the University and
the UK border agency to either pay up or risk forfeiture of their almost completed
programs and deportation respectively. I also gathered that they reached out to
Professor Anthony Owan-Enoh and he told them he couldn’t do anything. Quite
outrageous I must say! His poor handling from the onset messed those students
up and now he’s telling them to sort themselves out? Where does he expect
students who under a no-work bond to get money to feed and cater to their daily
needs talk more of 7 million Naira each to pay up their outstanding tuitions? I
expected him as an administrator, a father and grandfather to spring into
action asap at a time like this and activate damage control! An active VC would
have easily reached out to the state’s scholarship board and/or the
University’s private sector partners of the university to assist him in regularising
this shortfall but Professor Anthony Owan-Enoh has left the hapless students to
their individual and collective fates. I’m so disappointed because before now,
I used to be a big fan of the Owan-Enoh clan. From Ransome (pioneer
Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission) to the vibrant
and homely Senator John who I had an interesting phone conversation with about
the state of infrastructure in Cross River few months back.
I also expect Governor Ben Ayade who is an emeritus Professor
to show interest in the plight of these stranded children of the state. I
learnt that about a week ago, he stopped his convoy somewhere along Marian
Road, came down from his SUV with his brother Frank and acted a ‘small movie’.
I was told that he pointed at a spot close to the Marian market and started
telling Frank how he plans to duplicate a wonder-bridge he recently saw in
Singapore around that spot even as he gesticulated dramatically- to which Frank
nodded frantically in unison or so I heard. Your Excellency, by virtue of your
position, you’re our father in the state. I can authoritatively tell you on
behalf of your over 2 million children that we don’t need that Singaporean
bridge in Calabar- at least not now as they’re more pressing needs- investing
in human capital being one of them and that’s why I’m imploring that you to
intervene in the case of these CRUTECH students. Besides, I’m sure you know the
foundation of Singaporean politics and governance was laid on sound education?
If you go through the resume of their current leader, his vice and his cabinet
members, you will find out that they’re very educated and exposed. Someone
shared a document of their qualifications online whilst making a comparison
couple of years back and I was wowed! It was made up of 1st class Harvard and
Stanford graduates, Oxbridge graduates, Msc and PhD holders from Ivy league and
Russell group Universities. So instead of replicating the physical
infrastructure you saw there Sir, first replicate the mental infrastructure
that is obtainable in Singapore by coming to the aide of the several CRUTECH
students stranded abroad. That in fact is the Singaporean dream and is what
made them move in leaps and bounds into first world status.
Utsu is an engineer and a public analyst based in Lagos.
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