By Cletus Asuquo, Calabar
Protest has erupted at the University of Calabar as students of the Nursing Science and Medicine departments accused the school management of conducting an unfair screening exercise that forced many of them to change their courses after writing their examinations.
The students, mostly in their second year, alleged that despite paying all approved school and departmental dues, their admission status was abruptly altered on the school portal without prior notice or official explanation.
Speaking with journalists on campus on Monday, some of the affected students described the development as “unjust and frustrating,” saying the management had failed to communicate any clear criteria for the screening.
According to a Nursing student who pleaded anonymity, “We paid every due required by the university school fees, faculty and departmental dues yet after writing our exams, we saw ‘change of programme’ on our portals. When we asked questions, the management kept saying different things some said it was because of one failed course, others said it was because we didn’t do departmental screening.”
She lamented that some officials allegedly demanded extra payments before conducting the departmental screening, leaving many students unable to meet up. “We were told the screening was free, but suddenly they started asking for money. We are here to study, not to be extorted or frustrated,” she added.
Another student from the Department of Medicine and Surgery said many of those affected were admitted after being assured by school officials that “regularization” would secure their place. “They asked us to do regularization because of the number of students admitted. We complied, paid all required fees, and worked hard to maintain good grades. Now they are saying that those who did regularization or had an ‘F’ should leave the department,” he said.
Some of the affected students alleged that the university admitted more than its approved quota, which has now led to a mass downsizing exercise. “The quota for Nursing by the Nursing Council is 150, but we were told the school admitted over 900 students. Now they are asking us to change our programmes when lectures have already begun,” another student lamented.
Speaking on behalf of the parents, a concerned father described the situation as “frustrating and unjust.” He said, “You cannot punish the students for a mistake caused by the management. Some of these children have spent years trying to gain admission, and now that they’ve made it, they are being forced out unfairly.”
Reacting to the development, the university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr. Effiong Eyo, dismissed the students’ claims, saying many of those protesting were not officially admitted to study Medicine or Nursing.
According to him, the Deputy Vice Chancellor had met with the affected students, and it was discovered that some of them gained admission “through side ways,” while others were not listed on the JAMB admission portal. “Some of them were originally offered admission into other programmes like Human Nutrition, not Medicine or Nursing,” Dr. Eyo said.
