At the University of Cross River State, UNICROSS, there was conflict because Prof. Francisca Bassey, the vice chancellor, set the price of renting an academic gown for the matriculation ceremony at N10,000.
The students contended that the price was excessively expensive in comparison to the two thousand naira that was previously required to rent the gown.
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 of the universities.
The students claim that the Vice Chancellor recently increased tuition by 100% and imposed additional various levies, turning the school into a stronghold for extortion.
The school’s registrar, Dr. Catherine Osai, 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 rise 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 24th Matriculation Ceremony of the University of Cross River State, for the 2025/2026 academic session, which was previously scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026, in Calabar Campus and Friday, January 30, 2026, in Ogoja and Okuku Campuses, has been postponed indefinitely.”
According to Osai, the postponement is a reaction to the Joint Action Congress, or JAC, of the university’s three non-teaching unions’ ongoing protest.
The memo added, “We sincerely regret any inconveniences this postponement may cause to all concerned.”
