Exploitation Exposed: UNN Officials Accused Of Exploiting Corps Members

Cursory: Corps members assigned to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) are frustrated over the university’s failure to pay their monthly allowances and provide suitable accommodation. They accused university staff members of misappropriating funds and neglecting the dilapidated state of the lodges. They suspect embezzlement of funds and express dissatisfaction with the university’s response to their complaints. Investigations reveal the university’s first lodge was abandoned due to a dispute. The corps members call for action to prevent similar issues in the future.

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members assigned to the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) have expressed their dissatisfaction with the university’s failure to pay their monthly allowances throughout their service period.

They are urging the NYSC management to refrain from assigning corps members to the university until certain standards are met.

The corps members have criticized the poor condition of the hostels where they were accommodated, describing them as dilapidated and resembling dungeons.

They have accused two university staff members, known as Mrs. Timothy and Barrister Ezekwe, from the Personnel Service unit, of being involved in mismanaging corps members’ allowances and providing inadequate accommodation.

Ayoola, a corps member who recently completed her service at UNN, shared that some of her colleagues were even attacked by snakes and scorpions due to the poor state of the lodges.

She narrated: “When we were posted to the University, we meet with the Custodian at Personnel Service unit in the person of Mrs Timothy, assisted by Barr. Ezekwe.

“They tell you, you won’t be paid immediately until after three to four months of your service, within which period your name will be processed and entered into the voucher. They told us we’ll be paid N5,000 per month immediately our names are entered into the voucher. But until we completed our service year, nothing was given to us but mere promises and fake assurance.

“This has happened in several sets before ours,” she lamented.

She added, “During the passing out of each batch, the University releases about N600,000 for celebrating corps members, but none of this was done.

“There’s a strong suspicion that our custodians, Mrs Timothy and Barr. Ezekwe are embezzling the funds (both payments and passing out fund).”

Speaking on the state of the lodge they were given, the corps members regretted that they were allocated a lodge which “is similar to a dungeon. I have the pictures to show you that what I saying is factual and not makeup story.

“Describing the situation as unfortunate, she revealed that worst of it all was that when “any corps member tries to question why the payment isn’t coming or why the party isn’t held, they (custodians) threatened or evicted such corps member from the lodge.”

In justifying their illegal action, “they will claim the lodge is too small to accommodate the number of corps members, yet they accept a large number. In my set we were 113 corps members.

“Unfortunately, there’s an official corpers’ lodge built for corps members, but they don’t allocate corps members there. Rather, I heard it was rented out.

“Creatures of the night, snakes, scorpions, owls attack corps members in their rooms and bathrooms. When corps members report such, they make fake promises of coming to fix the lodge.

“Corps members are prone to attack in that lodge because it’s dilapidated and abandoned, people don’t even believe anyone can stay there,” she narrated, while displaying the pictures of the dilapidated lodge.

According to SaharaReporters’ investigation, it was discovered that the lodge in question was UNN’s original lodge, which had been abandoned due to a dispute between Nnamdi Azikiwe’s family and the university regarding ownership. Ayoola raised concerns about why the university would assign corps members to such deteriorated facilities.

“They keep accepting corps members to run duties that staff should run yet don’t dim it fit to pay them. If you complain, Mrs Timothy and Barr. Ezekwe will issue you a query.”

She disclosed that left UNN depressed and empty, adding that “sometimes we won’t be given water. We would carry buckets on our heads roaming the streets of Nsukka. It was terrible experience and if we don’t expose it now they will keep doing the same thing year after year.”

Source: Saharareporters

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