UNICAL RESUMES ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES NEXT MONTH
Barely one month after the students of University of Calabar, Calabar Cross River State, embarked on a violent demonstration, leading to the closure of the institution, full academic activities will soon commence, as the authourities of the university has announced new resumption date.
With the new date, students of the Institution will be expected back on campus on Monday, October 24, 2011 and commence lectures on Monday, 31st October, 2011.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. James Epoke, who disclosed the resumption date during an emergency congregation of the institution held at the Faculty of Arts auditorium, said it has become imperative to re-open the school as well as brief the congregation on state of affairs, so that members of staff would be kept abreast of developments.
Professor Epoke said fixing of October 24 as resumption date is to enable management effect repairs and replace damaged property, revealing that all students irrespective of category would be surcharged Ten Thousand Naira (N10, 000.00) each, while instructions on how to go about the payment would be made available on the institution's website.
The Vice-Chancellor also informed congregation that Senate had instructed that for the remaining part of the session students are to operate from off-campus, explaining that the period would be used to renovate and effect some major repairs on the hostels.
He advised staff to 'be committed to duty and alive to their responsibilities as the management will not tolerate racketeers in terms of 'Charges' and 'Admission' and indeed any untoward conduct in the discharge of their duties.'
The Vice Chancellor further disclosed that the school authouirites will no longer tolerate the re-selling of hostel spaces by students, noting that most of those who buy off these spaces are not bona-fide students and as such, constitute the core of those who forment trouble and lawlessness.
Prof. Epoke, who regretted the demise of the student who was allegedly shot by armed robbers, explained that Registration deadline is aimed at ensuring that, like their counterparts elsewhere, UNICAL Students follow a certain order and also to check the activities of those he referred to as 'Charges Racketeers.'
The Vice Chancellor also said the Investigative Panel of Inquiry decried the security lapses on campus and recommended total overhaul.
It should be recalled that on Friday night, August, 26, 2011, the students went on rampage destroying cars and vandalized buildings as well as looted valuable materials worth over hundreds of millions of naira.
The rampage was said to have sparked off following an armed robbery attack on one of the students' hostel at Malabo at about 11: 00pm, leading to killing of one of the students.
Piqued by the high level of destruction and vandalisation of school property as well as lecturers' vehicles by students in last Friday rampage, the authorities of the University of Calabar and Academic Staff Union of Universities, UNICAL Branch have set up separate panels.
The panels among other things are expected to look into the remote causes of such an unprecedented carnage, ascertain the level of destruction; those behind it and make recommendations to appropriate authourities on what next to be done.