Was UB FCFA 12 billion hostel project a hoax?

Some 24 months ago, the University of Buea, UB, signed a partnership agreement with the University Housing Corporation, UHC, for the construction of a 2,500 capacity bed hostel for students worth FCFA 12 billion.

Signed in 2012 under the Build, Operate and Transfer, BOT, the project was expected to be completed within 24 months.

However, after the 24 months timeline given for the completion of the project, there are no visible signs that construction work on the hostel has even started.

At the signing of the partnership agreement, an upbeat UB Vice Chancellor, VC, Dr. Nalova Lyonga, announced at the Dorothy Limunga Njeuma Amphitheatre that the contract would solve the problem of the capacity of accommodation that UB had been suffering from for 15 years.

“The University currently has only a 50-bed capacity hostel for girls only, which is grossly inadequate,” the VC stated.

Dr. Nalova Lyonga further asserted that, apart from the 2,500 capacity bed hostel, the housing project will equally include the construction of restaurants, a business centre and other facilities.

“The construction duration will be at most 24 months. We expect this partnership to become a reality and wish all and sundry to pray for the project,” the VC had stated at the 2012 signing ceremony.

The hostel, which was to occupy 12.5 hectares of land, was to be constructed on the university campus.

However, after the deadline given for the completion of the project had elapsed, The Post approached the administrative authorities of UB on Monday, April 27, 2015, and sought to know what had become of the project that was so greatly heralded. UB Registrar, Prof. Roland Ndip, was the first to pass the buck. He said he was not in a position to comment on construction works at “The Place To Be”.

The Registrar then directed this reporter to the VC’s office, where her Private Secretary indicated that construction works at UB don’t not fall directly within the jurisdiction of the VC. The Private Secretary said all the questions of The Post could only be answered or addressed by the varsity’s Director in charge of Development, Prof. Larry Effande.

This reporter was asked to address a formal application to the Director in charge of Development, stating the purpose for the interview and wait for his response.

After that, this reporter was finally ushered into the Director’s Office Prof. Effande stated that he needed authorisation from the VC before he could give out any information concerning the institution and, by extension, the project.

“Protocol must be respected, “Prof. Effande insisted.

According to him, if everyone were to come in and be granted an interview, then, there would be chaos at the institution. He stated that, without an authorisation, he would not utter a word concerning the project.

This reporter had been made to spend five long hours at the UB Central Administration (from 11:00 am to 4:00pm) on that Monday, April 27 waiting on the varsity overlords to provide information on the apparently stalled hostel project.

On Tuesday, April 28, 2015, Prof Effande finally parted his rather tight lips only to announce:

“The VC says whenever there is new information regarding the project, that information will be communicated to the public through the appropriate channels.” He didn’t state what those “appropriate channels” were.

Before the project was given a leeway to commence, the VC said there was need for hierarchy to give the green light for the project to take off and in 2012, after consultations with the relevant Ministries, the Ministry of Economy, Planning and Regional Development authorised the GLOBECO Project proposal and UHC and ‘Credit Foncier’ to provide the funding for the 2,500-bed capacity hostel.

However, after 24 months, there are fears that such an important project may end up only on the pieces of paper on which signatures were appended.