UNICROSS postpones matriculation amid student protests over N10,000 gown fee and staff strike, citing tensions and fee hikes as reasons
The University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has postponed the 24th matriculation ceremony for the 2025/2026 academic session following tensions over the high cost of academic gowns and an ongoing staff protest.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof Francisca Bassey, set the rental fee for the matriculation gown at N10,000, sparking discontent among students who noted that previous rentals cost just N2,000.
Students also criticised a recent 100 percent increase in school fees and additional charges, describing the school as a “fortress for extortion.”
The postponement was announced in a circular dated 26 January 2026 by the Registrar, Dr Catherine Osai, citing the protest by the Joint Action Congress (JAC) representing three non-teaching staff unions, as well as student unrest over the gown fees and fee hikes.
“This is to inform all staff, students, and the general public that the 24th Matriculation Ceremony of the University of Cross River State, earlier scheduled for Thursday, January 29, 2026, at Calabar Campus and Friday, January 30, 2026, at Ogoja and Okuku Campuses, has been postponed indefinitely,” the circular stated.
Dr Osai expressed regret for the inconvenience caused by the postponement and reaffirmed that the decision followed careful consideration of both the staff protests and the tensions among students.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.