Nkeze Mbonwoh
3 December 2008
Gradually, but surely, the place to be is satisfying the aspirations of students and lecturers. In a press release the 20th meeting of Council of the University of Buea announced their approval of the Faculty of Engineering and a college of Technology last 3 October.
Many have raised eye brows as to what infrastructure awaits such development. The Vice Chancellor, Vincent P. K. Titanji in an exclusive interview with the national Daily, Cameroon Tribune reassured that the contract to construct the Faculty of Health Science near the Mile 17 Motor park had been signed and now awaiting the kick off.
When the Faculty of Medicine will move to their new site, there will be ample space now for the coming Faculties of Engineering and Agriculture and the School of law. The new Faculty of Medicine will cost the state some CFA 900 million. In another development the completion of the final wing of UB library and the classroom block II.
The UB academic staff also smiled with the execution of a 50 rooms office block meant to provide over 150 sitting spaces. Apart from the new investment UB remains an upshoot of the School of Translations (ASTI) that existed before 1992 when decree N° 92/074/of 13 April 1992 transformed it into the University of Buea. Take off was in May 1993 with 768 students enrolled in three faculties, Arts, Education and Social and Management Sciences.
Today UB totals 12.000 students for 70 degree programmes out of the 104 earmarked. By 2015 all the 104 degree programmes shall be expected to be offered. UB is not worst off in infrastructure. The Vice Chancellor told C.T. that as an anglo-saxon culture students are supposed to be admitted according to space. That's why the number of spaces can satisfy 50 percent of the students now. Especially, not all the students sit to study at any given moment.
The unfortunate news of UB remains the lack of residential accommodation. Officials speak of just little above 100 rooms but that the Institution may in the near future enter into partnership with businessmen to build on UB land on contract basis.
In the meantime students from far and near take rooms in the neighbourhood and beyond to manage through their study period. This brings about another issue of expensive rooms. In Molyko today no room in a permanent structure costs less than CFA 15.000. Many landlords ask students to pay for at least 10 months at once. There are as costly as CFA 30.000 rooms in Molyko today. Add this cost to the food, clothing and health care then one can get the right picture of what students are going through in Buea.
In a recent move the Administration and UB have struck deals to bring down rents. The situation remains non reassuring as there is no legal obligation to compel an individual to step down his prices in a free market economy. Moreover the cement and other building material prices ought to show the example in a downward trend.
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