Calabar, Nigeria – The Government of Cross River State has confirmed the sales of the assets belonging to the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS).
The confirmation was made on Tuesday when a team led by Gilbert Agbor Esq., Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Asset Management and Recovery.
Converseer reports that petitions written to the government by concerned stakeholders alleged that some high-ranking officials of the state-owned university, including members of the former Governing Council, had been involved in the unauthorised sale of the university assets.
The petitioners claimed that the assets, which include lands, generators, Student Union Government (SUG) buses, and other valuables, were sold without the knowledge or approval of the university’s governing council or the state government.
An illegal edifice being erected on UNICROSS land
Confirming the petitioners’ claim, Agbor, after conducting an assessment work around the University in Calabar, disclosed that the state government will examine all aspects of the assets sale, including the identities of the buyers and sellers, the prices paid for, and the procedures used in the selling process.
“We are here on the spot assessment on what was addressed to the Department of Asset Management and Recovery. The Governor has directed that we should come and do an on-the-spot assessment and brief him accordingly so that immediate actions will be taken.
“Going around right now, everything contained in the petition has been confirmed to be true. There is massive encroachment on UNICROSS land, in fact, embarrassingly massive, and I can assure you that we are going to do everything within the law to recover those lands so that the university can expand further because, without that, the university is doomed – we cannot expand.
“We equally have found out that the massive allegations against the previous council that critical assets of the government were sold off without due process were true. We can confirm that the allegations are true because all the vehicles contained in that petition, the generators, we cannot find them.
“We are going to dig further because His Excellency is very much interested in solving this litany of problems that have befallen this university.
“As a government and department, we are giving preliminary instructions for the areas being encroached upon – we are going to stop the place – while we follow due process to evict all the illegal occupants.
“We are going to advise the Governor through a joint memo to immediately commence perimeter fences, and in addition to that, there should be road networks in some areas yet to be encroached by land grabbers.
“Whosoever, no matter how highly placed, that sold the land, we will bring the person to book; you cannot sell what you don’t have. If you don’t own land, you cannot move in and sell it. No one can sell government property; in fact, as a government, we will get to the root of it,” Agbor told Journalists.
L-R: Prof. Francisca Bassey, UNICROSS VC; Barr. Gilbert Agbor, Special Adviser to Governor Bassey Otu on Asset Management and Recovery
On her part, the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Fransica Bassey, assured that the University under her watch will continue to collaborate with the state government towards ensuring the perpetrators are decisively dealt with.
She assured that no staff of the University will be spared if found guilty of the allegations. “Two weeks after I came into office, I visited the Muri and his cabinets to talk about the environment; to talk to his people to desist and help us recover the land.
“We need to expand. When this institution was cited many years ago, the population was very low; now we have many students, and we need the land to build on it.
“The law does not respect anyone. If we find out that our staff are part of it, it would be very disappointing. If some staff betray the confidence of the institution and government, then it is left for the government to do whatever they have to do,” Prof. Bassey stated.
Speaking also, Prof. Peter Oti, the Economic Adviser to Governor Otu, decried that the encouragement has affected the economic situation of the state, adding, “This land grabbing has affected the economic atmosphere of the state and the university and we must ensure we work together in addressing it.”
Watch Video of the Inspection Below:
