In a dramatic turn of events, the University of Calabar ,UniCal, was plunged into chaos as students staged a mass protest against the staggering 100% hike in tuition fees for the upcoming academic sessions of 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
The uproar led to a complete halt of academic activities as impassioned students voiced their discontent.
The campus, usually buzzing with scholarly pursuits, witnessed a sea of protesting students, numbering no fewer than a hundred, barricading key access roads. Their demonstration disrupted the normal flow of traffic, leaving frustrated motorists with no choice but to turn away. Fresh leaves and placards bearing poignant messages became the symbols of their discontent.
Some of the inscriptions on the placards painted a vivid picture of the students’ sentiments: “We came to school to study, not to kill our parents,” and “The Vice Chancellor of UniCal went to school in her days, free of charge but today wants to kill students with crazy charges.”
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), a protester named Tony Erei articulated their resolve to continue the protest until the university administration reverted to the status quo. Erei pointed out the challenging economic landscape, where Nigerians have been grappling with rising prices, making any additional financial burden on students and parents particularly unwelcome.
Amarachi Obialor, another student protester, described the situation in the country as “sheer wickedness and insensitivity by our leaders,” echoing the frustration felt by many.
The heavy police presence around the protesting students underscored the university’s concern about potential law and order issues on campus. The administration’s decision to implement such a significant fee increase has evidently stirred a hornet’s nest among the student body.
Under the new fee structure, both fresh students and those in non-science courses face a substantial increase, with figures set at N111,000, N91,500, and N114,000 for freshers, returning students, and final year students, respectively. Additional third-party dues of N36,500, N21,500, and N21,500 are also part of the financial equation.
For science-based courses, the fees have also been raised to N155,000, N125,000, and N148,000 for freshers, returning students, and final year students, along with third-party dues of N38,500, N21,500, and N21,500.
Before this abrupt hike, an average student paid N64,050 for freshers, N52,050 for final year, and N49,500 for returning students, depending on the department. The protest signifies more than a collective outcry; it’s a manifestation of the financial strain students and their families are grappling with in the face of successive increases and economic challenges.
UniCal now finds itself at a crossroads, navigating not just academic concerns but also the social and economic implications of its decision.
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