Zik’s Wife, Groups Decry Abandonment Of Zik Hostel At UNN

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Professor Uche, Wife of first Nigerian President Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, has expressed displeasure over the dilapidated condition and abandonment of the hostels her late husband built at University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) popularly known as Zik’s flats.

She stated this in Nsukka on weekend when her husband’s Memorial Foundation and Nsukka Ezue paid her a courtesy visit at Zik’s residence at Onuiyi Haven Nsukka, in the Nsukka Council Area of Enugu State.

Mrs Azikiwe applauded the groups for the visit and their concern over the abandonment of 21 two-storey buildings, 12 bungalows and a refectory her husband built at university while alive.

The Ex-Nigeria’s first lady said the family was not happy over the abandonment of Zik’s flats for so many years by UNN management.

“I have personally made inquiries from the university management about Zik’s flats, no genuine reasons given to me but later I was told it has been contracted to a developer but its almost five years now no work has been done.

“If UNN can’t rebuild the place, the university should hand it over to Zik’s family, if is too much for us to handle, we will use the Build Operate Transfer (BOT) arrangement to rebuild the flats,” she said.

Professor Azikiwe described as false, baseless and unfounded rumour in some quarters that the abandonment of the flats was because Zik’s family is in court with UNN, adding that they are not in court with the premier university founded by her late husband.

“The rumour is false, baseless and unfounded, Zik’s family is not in court with UNN.

“We have no misunderstanding whatsoever, the only thing we are saying is that we are worried and not happy about the dilapidated condition of Zik’s flats for many years,” she maintained.

She further commended Nsukka indigenes for intervening to ensure that Zik’s flats were rebuilt by UNN and promised to give them all the necessary support required.

The Director General of the Memorial Foundation, Chief Chinese Onyeka had in a speech informed the former first lady that they had earlier paid a courtesy visit to UNN Vice-chancellor Prof Charles Igwe.

Onyeke said the groups told the VC who was represented by Prof Romanus Ezeokonkwo the Deputy Vice-chancellor Administration that the aim of their visit was to know why Zik’s flats had been abandoned for many years.

“Nsukka people love your husband Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe because of his special love to Nsukka people by citing UNN in Nsukka which had given Nsukka a global name.