By Desire Emmanuel
Authorities of the University of Calabar, Cross River State, were dumbfounded when they discovered that some senior staff of the institution rented the boys quarters of their apartments to students and outsiders for amounts as high as N350,000 per annum.
This translates to N1.4 million for a student that will undergo a four-year-course in the institution.
The university has therefore evicted some of the senior staff from the apartments, saying the decision was taken in order to curb unethical practices.
Spokesman for the institution, Mr Eyo Effiong, disclosed the development in Calabar, the state capital, on Tuesday.
Effiong said the governing council of the school directed some staff to vacate the Boys’ Quarters (BQs) after evidence showed that they rented them out to students and outsiders.
“Letters were issued notifying them that the ownership of the quarters have been revoked, and occupants were asked to vacate on or before April 30, 2025,” he said.
The spokesperson further said investigations revealed that the staff collected between ₦100,000 and ₦350,000 yearly from students and outsiders.
He described the practice as unethical and embarrassing to the university, adding that the institution also discovered security threats linked to some of the occupants.
According to him, the reclaimed apartments will be reallocated directly to junior staff through the university’s housing department to ensure accountability and proper rent deductions.
“This policy affects all senior staff who misused the facility, not just professors; and those with genuine grievances can approach the Governing Council, which approved the decision,” he stated.
However, it was gathered that following the eviction of occupants from the apartments, some senior staff accused the university management of abuse of power.
One of the affected senior staff, who pleaded anonymity, said that the university security personnel and staff of the Security and Technical (SAT) Services Department recently broke into some of the quarters.
He said they threw out belongings of occupants, including those away on sabbatical or official duties.
“If I’m paying for the main house, I should have the right to use the Boys Quarters for my dependents, househelps, or relatives.
“Some of our colleagues returned to find their doors broken and personal items thrown outside; this is not acceptable in a university environment,” he said.
Another senior staff member, Mr Jacob Emmanuel, described the eviction as high-handed and demeaning to senior members of the academic community.
According to him, “is the management saying our househelps should now sleep in our bedrooms?”
He warned that the situation could lead to a breakdown of law and order if not properly handled.
