UNICAL shut as students protest over hostel facilities

Hundreds of students on Monday protested against what they called “the deplorable condition of facilities and high tuition in the school.”

Authorities of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, on Monday shut down the institution following a protest by the students.

Hundreds of students on Monday protested against what they called “the deplorable condition of facilities and high tuition in the school.”

The students, who initially blocked all entrances to the institution, later marched peacefully along the major streets in Calabar.

The protest, which started about 6am, created panic among residents, especially those residing along the roads linking the university.

Carrying placards and tattered mattresses, the students also mimicked how at least two persons squeeze themselves on a ‘six-spring bed’ in the hostels.

Some of the inscriptions on their placards read, “Epoke, we need reduction of school fees”, “No light, no toilet, no accommodation, no lecture halls”, among others.

A 400 level student in the Department of Political Science, Jerry Akpan, said the protest was to draw the attention of the authorities to the bad state of facilities in their hostels.

But, in a statement signed by the school Registrar, Mr. Moses Abang, the authorities instructed the students to vacate the hostels on or before 6pm on Monday (yesterday).

It read, “The management of the university has announced a two week mid-semester break for all students of the university with effect from October 12, 2015.

“Students are expected to vacate the hostels on or before 6pm to enable the management to address the issues raised by the students. Normal academic activities would resume on October 30, 2015. No student should be found on campus, especially within the hostels after 6pm today.”

Meanwhile, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. James Epoke, said the authorities were already addressing some of the complaints of the students