The acting vice chancellor of the University of Cross of River State (UNICROSS), Prof Francisca Bassey, has appealed to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for urgent assistance in repairing several academic buildings damaged by a recent severe windstorm that swept across Calabar.
The VC made the appeal during a chat with LEADERSHIP Weekend, highlighting the need for urgent assistance to restore the affected facilities.
Bassey stated that the windstorm, which accompanied a heavy rainfall, caused significant destruction to the university’s infrastructure including the roof and windows of several lecture halls, the library and the students’ union building.
Other areas destroyed by the windstorm include the conference room in the Administrative Building housing the vice chancellor’s office.
The estimated cost of damage runs into millions of naira and the university said it is struggling to cope with the aftermath.
Prof Bassey expressed concern that the damage would disrupt academic activities and impact students’ learning experience negatively if not tackled on time.