UNICAL to resume Feb 5, says VC

The senate at the University of Calabar (UNICAL) has announced February 5 as the date for the resumption of its 2019/2020 academic session.

According to NAN, Florence Obi, its vice-chancellor, broke the news while addressing journalists after a meeting of the senate on Monday.

Obi said the date was chosen to give the school time to repair hostels vandalised during the #EndSARS protests.

“All students are to resume on February 5 while lectures will commence on 8 accordingly,” the vice-chancellor said.

UNICAL’s latest resumption date comes weeks after the national body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had suspended a nine-month strike it had embarked on in March 2020.

It also follows months after the UNICAL’s ASUU staged a protest over the non-payment of their allowances.

“Some of the entitlements include promotion arrears, fellowship and conference allowances and other entitlements,” the lecturers had said at the time.

“Some of the arrears have been owed for more than five years, depending on the individual and all efforts to make the management pay the arrears have failed.

“So, we have no option than to embark on a peaceful protest. When this fails to yield the desired results, we will carry our mats and pillows to occupy the University of Calabar. It is our common heritage.”