EMERITUS Prof Uche Azikiwe, the widow of the late Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, first President of Nigeria, has expressed worry over the deplorable condition of Zik’s flats at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).
Azikiwe disclosed this in Nsukka on Thursday when Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe Memorial Foundation and a pressure group, Nsukka Ezue, paid her a courtesy visit at her residence at Onuiyi Haven, Nsukka.
She thanked the groups for the visit and their concern over the abandonment of the buildings comprising 21 two-storey houses, 12 bungalows and a refectory.
The former first lady said that the family was not happy on the abandonment of Zik’s flats for so many years by the UNN management.
“I have personally made enquiries from the university’s management about Zik’s flats but no genuine reason was given to me. Later, I was told that the buildings had been contracted to a developer but it’s almost five years now and no work has been done.
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“If UNN can’t rebuild the place, the university should hand it over to Zik’s family; if it’s too much for us to handle, we will use Build Operate Transfer (BOT) arrangement to rebuild the flats,” she said.
She described as “false, baseless and unfounded” rumour in some quarters that Zik’s family is in court with the UNN and that was why Zik’s flats were abandoned.
“The rumour is false, baseless and unfounded. Zik’s family is not in court with the UNN.
“We have no misunderstanding whatsoever, the only thing we are saying is that we are worried and not happy on the dilapidated condition of Zik’s flats for many years,” she said.
Azikiwe commended Nsukka indigenes for intervening to ensure that Zik’s flats were rebuilt by the university and promised to give them all the necessary support required.
Speaking during the visit, Chief Chineme Onyeke, the Director General of the Memorial Foundation informed the former first lady that they had earlier visited the UNN Vice-chancellor, Prof Charles Igwe on the condition of the hostels.
“Nsukka people love your husband, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, because of his special love to Nsukka people and by citing UNN in the area which had given Nsukka a global name.
“Nsukka indigenes believe in ideals, achievements and legacies of your husband and will not allow any thing that will bring dishonour or daint the image of the great Zik of Africa.
“We will continue to interface with the UNN management until the flats are rehabilitated and if the university has no political will to do it, the flats should be returned to Zik’s family,” Onyeke said.
Also speaking, Emeritus Prof Damian Opata, the Chairman of Nsukka Ezue, urged the university to do everything within its capacity to rebuild the flats which the founder of the university built to solve the problem of students accommodation.
Opata also urged the institution to ensure regular maintenance of Zik’s residence at Onuiyi Haven, Nsukka.
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“There is nothing UNN will do for Zik and his family that will be too much considering his unquantifiable contributions in the university,” he said.
In a remark, His Royal Highness, Igwe Simon Idu, the Traditional Ruler of Nkpologu Community in Uzouwani Local Government Area, who was one of the pioneer staff of the Personnel Department, UNN, gave a brief history of how the UNN started,
Idu said that the former President built Zik’s flats when Okpara hall, the only hostel built when the UNN started in 1960, could no longer accommodate the increasing number of students.
“Rebuilding Zik’s flats will help provide more accommodations to students as well as sustain the legacies of Zik.
“The present dilapidated condition of the flats is a dishonour to the founder of UNN,” he said.
In a related development, the two groups visited the UNN Vice Chancellor, Prof Charles Igwe represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Prof Romanus Eze-Okonkwo.
Eze-Okonkwo told the groups that the university was looking into ways of solving the accommodation problems in the institution due to the increasing number of students.
“If the flats are rebuilt, it will go a long way in solving the accommodation problems, maintain the good image of of the UNN as well as generate more revenue to the university. “If it requires using Private Public Partnership (PPP), the university will do it,” he said. (NAN)
