ASUU: UNICAL Resumes Academic Activities After Strike Suspension

The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has resumed academic activities for both fresh and returning students after the suspension of the eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU),

News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that fresh students were seen going to some offices for their registration on Monday.

Some final-year students of UNICAL were also reportedly seen doing their clearance at different points on campus.

Speaking to NAN, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Florence Obi, expressed happiness with the return of lecturers and students back to school.

Obi maintained that the Senate of the institution had decided that no student would be a victim of the effect o the strike by the lecturers.

She added that the university had activities lined up to meet up the backlog caused by the prolonged strike.

Speaking on the improvement in the infrastructure of UNICAL While the strike was on, the VC said, “During the period of the strike, we were busy on campus with our drive for infrastructural development and building of new classrooms blocks and hostels in preparation for resumption.

“We had classrooms that were dilapidated, so we used the period of the strike to fix the desks and also complete pavilions 1, 2 and 3, courtesy of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund.

“Today, we also have a beautiful road network on campus and we got that through the intervention of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

“During the strike, we also ran a workshop where we hosted lecturers from the Association of African Universities. In all, we were able to use the period of the strike to achieve many things.

“We just had our first mass this morning where we dedicated the resumption activities to God,” she said.

Obi welcomed students and their lecturers back to school, urging the former to be dedicated and focused on their studies.

A student of the institution, James Okon, who spoke to NAN said he was happy to be back to school, noting that the period of the strike was devastating.

Okon lauded the management of the school for the new classrooms, hostels, and road network, stating that the addition had made the institution more facilitative to learning.

ASUU strike was called off last Friday following the order by the Court of Appeal and a series of meetings with the leadership of the House of Representatives.