The University of Benin Alumni Association (UBAA), Lagos branch, has called on all old students of the institution to contribute immensely toward the development of the university.
The association President Worldwide, Mr Ikenna Obiasor, made the call at the 2019 Award of Excellence in Lagos.
Obiasor said that the university needs the help of all because it has become more difficult for the government to fund the university alone.
According to him, a lot of decay is going on in the school, which has made it imperative for all of us to put hands together to see how the standard could be kept.
“We sit down to reflect on the escapades during the time we were there.
“The students now are at the receiving end. We have dilapidated hostels,” he said.
Obiasor said that the Alumni body should do something urgently about it.
He also called on all to take it as a challenge to visit the school to see where they could give a helping hand.
The association president said that help could be rendered through groups, Class of 2000 or through the Alumni association.
Also, the Lagos branch Chairman, Mr Stephen Onojomete, said irrespective of how strong a university is, it could not be perfect.
Onojomete said that there was always the need to outsource help outside the community, hence the decision of the Alumni to create awareness.
He said that the university lacked functional borehole in the Males and Females Hostel Hall I.
The branch chairman said that the Alumni had discussed with the Director of Works, who had asked how the Alumni could help with solutions.
He said that as a body this was what they faced, adding that the challenges need supports and intervention of its awardees.
Earlier, Chairman of the occasion, Gen. Felix Edafioghor, urged all present, especially the awardees to focus deeply on how the institution contributed to what they were today, and give back to the school to make it greater.
Edafoghor said: “It would be very important to mention here that strong Alumni Association reflect the products of such university.
“We have very strong supporting Alumnus from Uniben, but our participation in the Alumni activities have not been encouraging.”
