The alumni association of the Cross River State University has called for the establishment of Education Trust Fund, ETF, with 2% of taxes from hotels, local government areas, firms operating within the University jurisdiction, used to pay salaries and other overheads.
A statement from the national president of the association, Dr Peter Iyali said it will curb continual unrest in the University over non-payment of staff salaries.
Last week, all academic and non-academic associations in the school, embarked on a total shut down of the school over delayed payment of salaries, explaining that January 2026 salary was yet to be paid.
In a statement in Calabar, the association said to address the recurring crisis, the 2% of the profit after tax from companies operating in the state, 2% education tax on hotel guests, 2% of statutory state allocations, and 5% local government allocations dedicated to university support should go to the Education Trust Fund.
The Association further recommended a formal policy mandating the state government to engage UNICROSS for consultancy services in selected engineering and creative projects, as well as integrating consistent infrastructure development into the state’s annual budget.
Additionally, the Association advocated for convening a state-wide education summit to develop innovative and sustainable strategies for financing tertiary education, noting that UNICROSS itself emerged from a similar summit convened during the administration of former Governor Donald Duke.
Beyond funding, the Alumni body raised concerns over worsening security challenges, including repeated attacks on students and staff, vandalism, and land encroachment. It urged the government to prioritize perimeter fencing of the University and the establishment of a dedicated police station on campus.
Reaffirming that education remains central to sustainable development, the Alumni Association called on the state government to adopt deliberate, long-term measures to secure the future of the University and its students.
The Association also attributed the persistent delay in staff salaries at the University to inadequate funding from the State Government, calling for the immediate adoption of a sustainable financing model to address the crisis.
