by crossriverwatch admin
When Professor Eno-Obong E.Eno-Obong took over the leadership of the Cross River University of Technology (CRUTECH) in 2009,hopes were high when he following his promise to consolidate on the vision of his predecessor,Professor Eka Braide.
Today,Professor Eno-Obong in the minds of the lecturers and students of the State owned university is more of an enemy than their friend.
Currently, CRUTECH is more indebted than ever since its inception in 2004. Both academic and non academic staff of the university have not been paid salary for three months due to no fault of theirs but an error committed by the institutions’ chief executive,Professor Eno-Obong.
A reliable source in the office of the Vice Chancellor told CrossRiverWatch that “the outgoing VC has been running the affairs of the University as if it was his personal property and this has put him on collision course with the Governor who is the Visitor of institution.”
One a source close to the seat of power in the University said “Staff have not been paid since the last three months and the Vice Chancellor’s tenure is coming to an end and this is the only parting gift he can give to us for the job well done.
“I don’t know why he is unable to pay because every month CRUTECH is given one percent from all the 18 LGAs as contributory fund to the University.”
Another senior management Staff who would not like to be mentioned said “The outgoing VC and the Governor had parted ways since last quarter of 2013′ due to what the source described as financial recklessness of the VC.”
The source counted the offenses of Professor Ene-obong to include: 1. Buying official cars worth several millions of Naira for himself without getting approval of the authority. 2. Employment of staff without approval of the Visitor (governor Imoke) and 3. Non remittance of tax deducted from staff salary to the government coffers since July 2014.This has accumulated to several millions of Naira.
According to our source,the Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke who is the Visitor to the institution frowned at these three offenses and blocked access to funds to the school pending the end of the Vice Chancellors tenure.
Because of this, our source said the 1% contribution to the University from the local governments have been stopped by the government since may 2013.
“The institution is not creative under Professor Ene Obong, No IGR apart from regular school fees and mini medical bills, the micro finance is run by the VC and his cronies and its not part of the IGR of the University. Unlike University of Calabar, CRUTECH doesn’t have primary or secondary school, it neither established things like bottle or sachet water companies like others and no commercial farm has also been established by the University even as a technology institution.
“All the ongoing projects in the University including the construction of the CBN administrative building and other construction work going on in the University are either Tetfund or ETF projects.
“Professor Eno Obong did not start any project and completed it with his creative IGR idea”.
“Presently the school contribution to the national housing fund on behalf of the staff is hanging. Yet, he got all his personal entitlement such as transport allowance, hotel bills, night out bills, all from the school account where as the staff promotion arrears since 2007 is still pending. He did a self appraisal recently when he gave his score card as excellent where as salaries and staff allowances have not been paid.
“What Ene Obong could consider as major achievement is student population, that the school enrollment has now risen from about 5,000 students five years ago to 11,269 in its four campuses viz Calabar-8,563, Obubra-474, Ogoja-1,516 and Okuku 443 without commensurate infrastructure and human capacity to manage the institution population.
Several calls to the Vice Chancellor’s mtn phone 08063920168 for his reactions were not taken.
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