File photo_University of Buea
During the 32nd council meeting of the University of Buea, chaired by the Pro-Chancellor, Professor Maurice Tchuente, on February 24, the councillors examined and adopted the 2016 budget which stands at FCFA 9,656,691,000 Of this amount, FCFA 8,140,091,000 is for recurrent expenditure, FCFA 1,016,600,000 for investment and FCFA 500,000,000 for externally funded research grants.
Speaking after the council meeting, Professor Maurice Tchuente remarked that UB had a smooth run during 2015, which he lauded as a mark of seriousness. The Pro-Chancellor also announced the introduction of new programmes, mostly in the Faculty of Health Sciences.
Commenting on the budget, Professor Maurice observed that all needs could not be meet as the case will always be The budget execution of 2015 was 80 percent. On the programmes to be launched, the Pro-Chancellor said the Ministry of Health has asked new programmes to be launched and, as he said, even the Faculty of Arts will develop new professional programmes to meet the needs of students in a fast changing world.
Speaking to the press after the council meeting, the Vice Chancellor said their attention will be focused on reaching to the community. The VC stated that UB had already started with fish farming and now has fish farms all over the Southwest and is training farmers on how to get fish without going to the high seas.
“We have to give back to the community,” she stated adding that a new technique of drying the fish has also been developed to help solve the eye problem and other complications that usually come with the traditional method where women end up with red eyes because of fish smoking.
The smoking chamber to be used in smoking of fish in UB fish farms is green and doesn’t send out smoke, making it environmentally friendly. The VC also remarked that UB is training municipal councils to set up solar plants as well as wind energy plants and maintain them and not depend only on foreigners to develop and maintain them.
A total of 31 councils are being represented in UB to learn how to use the new technology.
On HTTTC Kumba, the VC said after admitting the first and second batches, the institute now has a site it can call its own, thanks to the Government.
Talking about her staff, she said some of their more qualified and more skilled lecturers are being sent to the newly created University of Bamenda, and with the current student population that stands at over 20,000, UB hopes that they will be allowed to replace them and meet up with the needs of students and the goals of UB.
