Written by Emma Una
Due to growing anxiety at the university brought on by the high expense of matriculation gowns, the University of Cross River State, Unicross, has postponed its 24th matriculation ceremony.
The cost of renting the academic gown for the two-hour ceremony was set at ten thousand naira by Vice Chancellor Professor Francisca Bassey. According to the students, this is “way too high against the two thousand naira which used to be the cost for renting the gown in previous years.”
The students expressed dissatisfaction about the Vice Chancellor’s recent 100% increase in school tuition and other various levies, which they claimed have made the institution a haven for extortion.
The postponement was inevitable due to the growing tension and the protest by the Joint Action Congress, or JAC, of the university’s three non-teaching staff members.
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.
“This is to notify all employees, students, and the public that the University of Cross River State’s 24th Matriculation Ceremony for the 2025–2026 academic year, which was originally planned for Thursday, January 29, 2026, at the Calabar Campus and Friday, January 30, 2026, at the Ogoja and Okuku Campuses, has been postponed indefinitely.”
According to Dr. Osai, the postponement “is sequel to the ongoing protest by the Joint Action Congress JAC), of the three non-teaching Unions of the University,” according to the circular.
The memo added, “We deeply regret any inconveniences this postponement may cause to all concerned.”
