NDDC Donates 500-Bed Hostel To UUTH

THE Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has donated a 500-bed space prototype hostel facility to medical students of the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital (UUTH).

Speaking during the commissioning on Saturday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, the NDDC Managing Director, Bassey Dan Abia, said the gesture was in furtherance of the agency’s role to provide intervention in infrastructural development in states within the zone.

Abia, who recalled that the project was awarded 10 year ago, said his administration was determined to complete as many uncompleted projects embarked upon by the commission as possible, one of which was another hostel facility in the University of Uyo main campus, billed to be commissioned in the next three months.

Such determination, according to him, had resulted in the completion of nine prototype hostels across the Niger Delta States.

While pledging a donation of a 500 KVA transformer to power the facility and the community, the NDDC boss, however, appealed to the host community, Usse Ikot Ebio, to protect and not vandalise the facilities.

In her remarks, Vice Chancellor of the University of Uyo, Prof. Comfort Ekpo, commended the commission for various interventions for the institution.

She, however, appealed for more reliable security measures on the donated facility to guarantee safety of the medical students.

In her words: “We sincerely appreciate this 500 bed space facility, the access road and the 275 KVA generator. But, I want to note that there is absence of essential security in the facility.

“The students need burglary protection in all doors, windows and openings. The perimeter fence should be completed, two security posts and metal protection for all drain channels, mosquito nets, drying lines, etc. These will cost about N55m”.

She called for government’s intervention on the university land,

which she reported had been encroached on by communities across the four campuses of the institution, namely; Main campus, Annex, Town campus and the hostel facility with about 20 per cent encroachment.

She, therefore, appealed to the state government to assist the institution to secure Certificates of Occupancy (C of O) to avert future encroachment.

Represented by the State Deputy Governor, Moses Ekpo, the Akwa Ibom State governor, Udom Emmanuel, commended NDDC for investing in the health development of the state.

He assured that the 20th anniversary hospital recently commissioned by the state government would also enhance training facilities for the medical students in the state.

The governor, who reacted to the complaints by the community about non-payment of compensation, and the University of Uyo management of land encroachment, pledged to continue to mediate between them to ensure harmonious relationship, therefore called for a meeting with the community leaders.