Blessing Alims emerges first-ever UNICAL female SUG President

…the Vice President position was also taken by a female.

Blessing Alims has made history by becoming the first-ever female Students’ Union Government (SUG) President of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) since it was established in 1975.

Alims was elected alongside eight others on Friday, 14th June 2024, via an online voting system on the University’s portal, https://portal.unical.edu.ng.

Blessing Alims campaigning during the students’ week

The voting which started at 10am saw Alims clinched victory with 254 votes, while her rival, Egbim, scored 142 votes.

CONVERSEER reports that Blessing Alims, first-class standing, studies at the Department of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution with a CGPA of 4.75 at the time of the election.

Blessing Alims, SUG President (Right) with Prof. Florence Obi, Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL (Middle)

It was all female affairs as the Vice-President’s position also went to a female, Agnes Charles, who polled a total of 245, as against her rivals, Law and Angel, who scored 229 and 129 votes respectively.

Recall also that in 2020, Prof. Florence Obi, Vice-Chancellor of the University became the first female to be elected Vice-Chancellor of UNICAL.

UNICAL 2024 SUG Elections Result

1. President – Blessing Alims (Elected)
2. Vice President – Agnes Charles (Elected)
3. Secretary-General – Abang Johnson (Elected)
4. Deputy Secretary General – Evalsam Egbula Enya (Elected)
5. Director Of Socials – Ettano Blessing Elooghene (Elected)
6. Financial Secretary – Kekong Rita (Elected)
7. Director of Welfare – Eyere Bright Orok (Elected)
8. Director of Sports – Kizito Obasi (Elected)
9. Director of Information – Geraldine Ogar (Elected)

Blessing Alims

Brief Profile Of Blessing Iripia Alims, New UNICAL SUG

The new President of the Students Union Government SUG of the University of Calabar UNICAL, Blessing Alims, who has now made the record as the first-ever female SUG President of the school, 49 years after it was founded, is from Gakem, in Bekwarra LGA, Cross River State. She’s studying Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution with a CGPA of 4.75 at the moment.

She’s a serial volunteer with the following NGOs: Girl’s Power Initiative, The Bridge Leadership Foundation founded by Liyel Imoke, former governor of Cross River State, AIDS Healthcare Foundation and Youth Advocates, UNFPA Nigeria.

Blessing Alims in a sensitisation with school pupils

In 2022, Blessing Alims was one of the winners amongst over 150 contestants drawn from across Africa to participate in the Youngers Foundation Female and More Social Impact Project. She was the only winner from Cross River State, a win that saw her going on a 10-day learning visit to Kigali, Rwanda.

Blessing has been involved in lots of charity initiatives and outreaches that have impacted positively on thousands of persons. She is one of the founding members of the Youth Friendly Hub at the University of Calabar, a hub that is impacting the lives of students positively with relevant skills for sustainability.

Just recently, she was selected to attend the Young Women Leadership Training Programme (South South Region) organised by IFES – International Foundation for Electoral Systems.

In the campus debate organised by the National Union of Campus Journalists NUCJ, for contestants for the SUG President, Blessing Alims emerged number one with 87 points to defeat four other male aspirants.

She is an intelligent and development-driven young lady who won her position based on her capacity and should be supported to rewrite the ailing story of unionism in UNICAL.

First-ever female SUG President under the first-ever female Vice-Chancellor of the institution.

Profile compiled by Citizen Agba Jalingo.