UNICAL VC suspends charge increase to douse student protest; appoints aide on student affairs
Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar has backtracked on the earlier proposed increase in fee charges for students.
This was announced on radio in a news broadcast on Hit 95.9 FM Monday in Calabar with a promise to engage stakeholders on the matter and appealed to students to halt protest.
Recall the management of the University of Calabar had announced an increase in the university’s tuition fees for undergraduates by over 100 per cent.
According to the statement made available to newsmen, the institution’s spokesman, Mr Effiong Eyo, said on Monday that the university’s Senate had an emergency meeting on Friday to discuss the upward revision of the fees.
The upward review was scheduled to be implemented during the 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 academic sessions.
And as a fallout of the announced increase, students of the institution occupied in protest, the roundabout near the school main gate that connects Etta Agbor and Mary Slessor Avenue, both busy roads in Calabar.
Meanwhile, amidst the student protest, the Vice Chancellor appointed Mr. Samuel Eno Okoi as her special adviser on student affairs.
The appointment was contained in a letter signed by the Registrar, Mr. Gabriel Egbe and issued on Monday, December 4, 2023.
“You are to ensure that adequate attention is given to the welfare and well-being of our students through positive and constructive engagements and feedback,” the letter read, adding that the appointment takes effect from today and is for a period of two years, subject to satisfactory performance.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
NHIA, Faith Foundation Clinic and Maternity resolve dispute over contributary health scheme
National Health Insurance Authority and Faith Foundation Clinic and maternity have resolved the seeming rift reported Friday, 1st December in LENS, an online newspaper.
A patient covered by “Wise health,” a product of the National Health Insurance Scheme had expressed reservation Friday over the delay in being attended to in Faith Foundation Clinic and maternity owing to unresolved official issues bothering on outstanding arrears of payment which led to the delistng of NHIA as the facility no longer handle secondary medical cases.
Also Read: NHIS and Medical facility biker over non-remittance of contributory health fees by United Comprehensive Health Managers Ltd
Speaking to a LENS Reporter over the issue, the desk officer at Faith Foundation Clinic and maternity in the presence of an officer from NHIA explained that they had written to them of their intention to discontinue offering secondary health services to clients, and had briefed the client accordingly, but were surprised at the turn out though blaming incidence on communication breakdown from both sides.
The NHIA officer who spoke on condition of anonymity on Monday December 4, 2023 promised to amicably resolve the issue and appealed to the management of Faith Foundation Clinic and maternity to see to the speedy recovery of the patient in line with their vision of being 21st century health facility in Cross River State.
The patient Agbo Bassey was responding to treatment as at the time of filing this report.
By: Archibong Emmanuel
(Snr. Reporter)
