How UNIMAID Suffered From Boko Haram, By Outgoing VC

SAN FRANCISCO, June 03, (THEWILL) â€' The five-year-old Boko Haram insurgency has had a very negative impact on the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), especially in the past three years..

The outgoing Vice Chancellor of University of the university, Prof. Mala Daura, disclosed this Tuesday lamenting that the Boko Haram insurgency has taken a huge toll on the institution, making it impossible for the institution to fill up its quota as many students continued to shun admission.

Daura, who stated this in a farewell speech he delivered during his handing over to the newly- appointed vice chancellor, said the university has a total of 7,724 as its quota annually. He however lamented that this year has been worst, saying 'Though there was no attack on the campus but the insecurity has affected the university indirectly.'

The outgoing vice chancellor, while discloding this, lamented that the university lost some of its staff killed either by the insurgents or stray bullets. 'Some of our staff even left the university because of the insurgency,' he said, disclosing that the university presently offers 71 courses out of which 66 has been accredited, giving the balance of four on partial accreditation status.

According to him, the Department of Theatre Arts was yet to be accredited because of the need to build a modern theatre, adding that the project would cost huge amount of money.

Daura said he had implemented 80 percent of the recommendation in the White Paper Report of the Visitation Panel to the university, urging the new Vice Chancellor to implement the remaining percentage especially on the establishment of institute of education and alumni.

Speaking on the finances of the university, Daura said the institution's accounts were healthy,adding 'the university is not very poor and not rich either.'

He however expressed concern over the capital subventions from the Federal Government, sayin 'A total of N323 million is budgeted as our capital fund for 2014 but we have received only N16.9 million so far from the government.'

Maintaining that ' This is one of our challenges,' the professor said 'Our N207 million overhead cost is also grossly inadequate because when we break it down, it means we have to spend N 17.2 million monthly as subventions for 35 sub heads including electricity which gulps about N10 million monthly, running of medical facilities and traveling expenses of principal officers of the university and other personnel cost.'

The outgoing vice chancellor however applauded the Federal Government for ensuring regular payment of salaries and allowances of staff.

Daura said he was delighted to hand over the leadership of the university to his Deputy Vice Chancellor (Central Administration), Prof Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, as the new Vice Chancellor.

Prof. Daura said he decided to invite all principal officers of the university including provosts, deans, heads of departments, students union leaders and other stakeholders to formally hand over to the new leader, describing the occasion as the first in the history of the university.

He stressed that the move was to acquiant stakeholders with the state of affairs in the university and where the new leader would be starting from.