Felix Ikem, Nsukka
Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, has said the institution’s management will no longer allow the University of Nigeria Alumni Association (UNAA) impose levies on students.
Ozumba said this in Nsukka on Wednesday when a group, University of Nigeria Concerned Alumni Association, paid him a courtesy visit in his office. He said that an Alumni is supposed to attract or donate funds for its alma mater’s development rather than the Nigerian practice of imposing levies on students.
“I know the main objective of alumni associations all over the world is to attract or donate funds to improve its institutions and not exploiting and imposing levies on poor students,” Ozumba said.
“The management of UNN will no longer tolerate or allow UNAA to impose levies on students,” he said.
The VC, who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof. Charles Igwe, described the Alumni executives as parasites to the university, dictating to management the type of cars to use, hotels to lodge and what kind of food to eat whenever they visit the institution.
“The executives of Alumni should not be more concerned about their comfort when they visit their alma mater, but on what they will contribute to improve the institution,” Igwe said.
“I am happy this group of concerned alumni has come up to correct anomalies and shortcomings of the parent body UNAA,” he said.
The VC said his administration had done much to make UNAA strong and focused, but regretted that what he received as payback were allegation of mismanagement.
“The Alumni at a point assumed the position of auditor for UNN, telling us how much the University has and how much it spent.
“The University wants the Alumni association to play the role of Alumni and to stop interfering in the day to day running of the University.
“The management is also uncomfortable about some executive members of the Alumni insulting elders of the Alumni of the institution,” he said.
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In his remark Chief Nduka Eya, one of the elders of the UNAA, said he joined the concerned alumni group because of its intention to correct the anomalies of the parent body.
“The behaviour of some executive members of UNAA are questionable; how can the financial account report of the association be presented on piece of paper?” he queried.
“To me, it is unacceptable that the treasurer of UNAA after his four-year tenure becomes the auditor of the association so as to audit himself.
“I am a member of this concerned group because it’s out to correct anomalies of the parent body,” Eya said.
Speaking Prof. Florence Orabueze, the national secretary of UNAA, who is also a member of the concerned group, described the attitude of some national executive members insulting founding elders of the association as unfortunate.
Orabueze also said its was improper for executive members to be more concerned about what they would benefit instead of what they would contribute to the University.
“I joined this concerned group because I believe it will correct the anomalies and add value to our alma mater, as well as to stop the insulting of elders of the Alumni that have sacrificed much for the association,” she said.
Earlier in a remark, Prof. Charles Ofoegbu, the Interim Chairman of the group, said the association was formed to correct the shortcomings of UNAA.
“The concerned Alumni are not happy that some of the objectives of UNAA have not been achieved by the executive.
“The concerned group’s focus is to achieve these objectives and play a critical role in developing our alma mater.
“The group will correct all anomalies in order to move the association forward,” he said.
Ofoegbu, however said that, the concerned group is not a parallel organization to the parent body since they still belong to UNAA.
“All of us in this concerned group still belong to the parent body. we are not fighting anybody but want to ensure that UNAA competes favourably with their counterparts in the county as well as in the world,” he said.
Some deans of faculty, heads of department and directors in the University were present at the courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor.