Gov. Otu’s UNICROSS Reforms Gain Momentum as Calabar Audit Concludes
By Ebi COLLINS
The reform drive of the Cross River State Government at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has gained fresh momentum with the successful conclusion of the staff personnel verification and audit exercise at the Calabar Campus, as the process moves to the Ogoja Campus on Monday.
The six-day exercise, conducted by the Technical Committee on the Review of the Working Environment in UNICROSS, covered the verification of academic and non-teaching staff, a mop-up exercise for personnel who could not participate on their scheduled dates, as well as the verification of ongoing and completed university projects. The exercise is part of Governor Bassey Edet Otu’s broader efforts to reposition the institution for greater efficiency, accountability, sustainable growth and improved service delivery.
The exercise commenced on Monday, August 3, with the verification of academic staff and continued on Tuesday with further verification activities. On Tuesday, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, accompanied by members of the University Management, visited the venue and participated in the verification alongside staff of their respective departments. In a light-hearted moment, members of the Technical Committee jokingly asked staff to identify the Vice Chancellor, prompting an enthusiastic response as personnel joyfully identified Prof. Bassey.
The Vice Chancellor subsequently interacted with staff and commended them for their punctuality, cooperation and orderly conduct, noting that their positive disposition had contributed significantly to the smooth and hitch-free progress of the exercise. The verification of non-teaching staff commenced on Wednesday, August 5, and continued on Thursday, with staff maintaining a commendable level of compliance throughout the process.
Chairman of the Technical Committee, Bishop (Prof.) U. U. Effiong, welcomed the Vice Chancellor and members of Management during their visits and appreciated staff for their peaceful disposition and cooperation. The exercise entered another critical phase on Friday, August 7, when the Committee undertook the verification of staff who could not participate earlier and inspected various ongoing and completed projects across the Calabar Campus.
Prof. Bassey led members of the Committee to the project sites, where the facilities were inspected as part of the wider assessment of the University’s working environment and infrastructure. At the end of the exercise, she commended the Committee for its commitment, diligence and dedication, acknowledging the time and effort invested in ensuring a thorough and credible verification and audit process.
The mop-up exercise was extended to Saturday, August 8, to accommodate eligible staff who had genuine reasons for missing the earlier sessions. The Technical Committee was constituted by Governor Otu as part of his administration’s commitment to strengthening UNICROSS and ensuring that the institution operates on the principles of accountability, efficiency and responsible management.
In a release jointly signed by the Committee Chairman, Bishop (Prof.) U. U. Effiong, and Secretary, Dr. (Mrs.) Glory Tony Effiong, all members of staff had been required to present themselves with relevant documents for the exercise. The Committee had also warned that failure to participate could result in affected staff being recommended for suspension from the payroll pending successful verification.
The recommendations arising from the exercise are expected to provide valuable guidance to the State Government and University Management in implementing further reforms aimed at strengthening UNICROSS. With the Calabar phase now concluded, the exercise moves to the Ogoja Campus on Monday, August 10, followed by the Okuku Campus on Tuesday, August 11, while the final mop-up and projects verification for both campuses will take place on Wednesday, August 12.
