Admin l Monday, July 24, 2018
UYO, Akwa Ibom, Nigeria – The Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, UNIUYO, Professor Enefiok Essien, (SAN), has applauded the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, for completing the construction of the dual carriageway entrance into the main campus of the university. Professor Essien, who spoke in an interview at the Council Chambers of the university, expressed delight at the speed with which the project was completed, noting that the road would make things a lot easier for the university during its next convocation ceremony in terms of entry and exit.
He said: “When you compare the status of the road when NDDC had not intervened and now that it has been completed, you will not fail to appreciate the difference. We are grateful to the NDDC for making this huge difference and we are expecting that finishing touches will be done soon. Specifically, we are hopeful that the street lights would be installed along with other ancillary works on the median.”
The dual carriage way built by NDDC leading into UNIUYO
“Before the NDDC intervened, the entrance to the university was quite bad and we were basically using only one side of the road. The other side was not paved at all and even the single lane that was in use was not good enough. The NDDC made a very significant improvement on the road by upgrading it to a dual carriageway.”
The Vice Chancellor noted that the addition of erosion control project on the road would help to preserve it and ensure a long life span for it. However, he added: “We are still expecting the NDDC to work on the lighting and the median to enhance the security on our campus.”
Professor Essien acknowledged other contributions of the NDDC to the university, especially its building of a modern hostel that was nearing completion. He appealed to the NDDC to put in more effortstowards the completion of the 500-bed capacity hostel.
He said the completion of the hostel would reduce the accommodation problems that students in the university were facing.
He stated: “The university hostel project was started before I became the Vice Chancellor and for a long time, there was a lull in the construction, but the NDDC had since put some energy into it since I came on board. At some point, the project gathered a new momentum and it has reached an advanced stage.
“Work on the landscaping had even progressed to an appreciable level. We hope that before long NDDC will complete the project. When it is completed, it will be a lot of help to our students in particular and the university community in general.”
The Vice Chancellor observed that the NDDC hostel was just a tip of the iceberg, considering the students population of about 25,000 in the university. “It is like a drop in the ocean. We still need more hostels to be able to accommodate most of our students on campus. And this is necessary for us to be able to police and guide the students. That will help us to enforce discipline. So, we have need for more hostels and offices because we are in a new area,” he said.
According to the VC, the university was still expecting more projects from the NDDC, noting that the Commission had promised to build a conference centre for the campus. “We also need more lecture halls. We will, therefore, appreciate more interventions from the NDDC.”
