The Alumni Association of Cross River State University (UNICROSS) has charged the State governor, Bassey Otu, to dissolve the institution’s Governing Council, alleging that the council was incompetent.
The Association, therefore, threatened to approach the court should the State government fail to heed to the dissolution call.
National Secretary of the Alumni Association, Njang Ndoma, made the call in a brief chat with journalists on Thursday in Calabar, the state capital.
Ndoma stated that the association had already directed its legal counsel to do the needful should Governor Otu refused to heed to the association’s demand to dissolve the institution’s Governing Council.
A communique signed by the Alumni Association’s national secretary sighted by LEADERSHIP, directed its legal team to institute a legal action to stop further funding of all activities and claims of the State’s University’s Governing Council.
The communique, which was the outcome of the Alumni Association’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, urged the state governor to consider the dissolution and immediate reconstitution of a new Governing Council without delay.
It accused the current Council of incompetence and pressurising the finances of the institution by calling for unnecessary meetings to draw sitting allowances for its members to the detriment of staff welfare.
The Alumni association further urged the state governor to reconstitute the council and ensure that men and women of proven integrity who understand the workings of the University system are brought in to oversee the institution.
“Since inauguration of the council on the 6th of June 2020, the council has attracted nothing to the University.
“All what it has achieved is putting pressure on finances of the institution by calling unnecessary sittings to draw allowances to enrich members,” the group stated.
But, in a swift reaction to the allegations, chairman of UNICROSS Governing Council, who doubles as the paramount ruler of Obudu local government area, HRM Felix Okudare, attributed the call for the council’s removal to the factionalisation of the Alumni Association.
“Well, it’s thier opinion to say what they like. All we are saying is that let’s there be peace in the association,” the council chairman stated.
