• VC’s office, other facilities affected

From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar

A wild wind on Friday evening caused extensive damage at the University of Calabar.

The wind, which lasted barely 20 minutes, destroyed the roof of the Vice-Chancellor’s office as well as the main floor of the Bassey Asuquo building.

The damage, which largely affected the rooftop of high-rise buildings, is estimated to be worth millions of naira, besides damaging critical facilities and documents warehoused in the affected buildings.

A terse statement from the information unit of the University says the damaging windstorm “resulted in a massive damage of the roof on the top floor of the Bassey Asuquo Administrative block.

“The offices on the top floor like Audit and notably the Registry are affected and the cost as well as extent of damage is yet to be fully ascertained”.

This is the second time this year where a violent wind has wrecked facilities in the institution.

Besides violent winds, the university is also massively flooded during a heavy downpour as flood waters empty into the Great Qua River that adjoins the southern end of the institution.

Despite these environmental challenges that plague the institution, no timeframe or concrete plans have been outlined by the authorities to mitigate these challenges.

The extensive development within the institution over the years has led to large-scale deforestation of its underdeveloped areas and this may be a factor in the present environmental hazards facing the institution.

The destruction caused by the windstorm is a stark reminder of the need for proactive measures to protect the University of Calabar’s infrastructure and ensure a more conducive atmosphere for academic activities.