Professor Uche Azikiwe, 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 the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), popularly known as Zik’s Flats.
She stated this in Nsukka last weekend when her husband’s Memorial Foundation and Nsukka Ezue, an NGO, paid her a courtesy visit at Zik’s residence at Onuiyi Haven, Nsukka, in 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 expr3ssed the family’s lamentations over the abandonment of Zik’s Flats for several years by the UNN management.
“I have personally made inquiries from the University’s management about Zik’s Flats, and no genuine reason was given to me, but later I was told it has been contracted to a developer, but its almost five years and no work has been done there.
“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 facility,” 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 the 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 the 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 in the university for several 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, over the matter.
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 years.
“Nsukka people love your husband, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, because of his special love for Nsukka people by citing the UNN in Nsukka, which had given Nsukka a global name,” he said.
