At the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, there was conflict because Prof. Francisca Bassey, the vice chancellor, set a price of N10,000 for renting an academic gown for the matriculation ceremony.
The students contended that the price was excessively expensive in comparison to the two thousand naira that the gown had previously cost to rent.
The planned matriculation of new students has now been postponed due to tension over suspected extortion by school administration and the protest by the Joint Action Congress, or JAC, of the three non-teaching staff members of the institutions.
The students claim that the Vice Chancellor recently increased school fees by 100% and imposed various extra expenses, turning the institution into a stronghold for extortion.
Dr. Catherine Osai, the school’s registrar, stated in a circular dated January 26, 2026, that the Joint Action Congress (JAC) protest, together with the stress caused by the high cost of academic gowns and the increase in school fees, were the reasons for the postponement of the matriculation ceremony.
The circular stated, “This is to notify all staff, students, and the general public that the University of Cross River State’s 24th Matriculation Ceremony for the 2025/2026 academic session, which was previously scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026, in the Calabar Campus and Friday, January 30, 2026, in the Ogoja and Okuku Campuses, has been postponed indefinitely.”
According to Osai, the postponement is a response to the Joint Action Congress, or JAC, of the university’s three non-teaching unions’ ongoing protest.
The circular ended, “We sincerely regret any inconveniences this postponement may cause to all concerned.”
