By Rita Enemuru, Reporting
ALTHOUGH efforts are being made to ameliorate the situation, newly-admitted students of the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, are groaning over the merger of 2022 and 2023 academic sessions.
Stonix News reports that the university, upon resumption of the 2022/2023 academic year, decided to admit 2022 fresh students together with those of 2023, a development that has stretched the available facilities beyond limits.
Year 1 students coming out of a crowded lecture hall
Recall that the eight-month industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2022 against the Federal Government as well as the 2020 COVID 19 pandemic, had taken their tolls on the academic sessions of universities.
Speaking with Stonix News on Thursday, some freshers, especially those of the 2023 set, expressed joy being admitted to the university earlier than intended, while others were more concerned about the discomfort the decision has caused them since they started lectures.
A student of Basic Education of the 2023 set, one Mfonono, listed the challenges that the freshers have been experiencing to include inadequate lecture rooms.
“One major concern for the freshers is that there are not enough halls in the university to accommodate the students as the halls are always filled to the brim with some students standing inside and outside the halls, making the atmosphere stuffy and unbearable for them to even pay attention to what is being taught by their lecturers.
“Secondly, the halls are not even as conducive for learning as it should be because some of the halls have no electric fans and the halls with a few are not functioning,’ she narrated.
Another student from the Department of History and International Studies, who refused to give out his name, complained of how his belongings and those of other students have been stolen in the process of trying to get into lecture halls.
Year 1 students waiting to get into a lecture hall
He said the crowd of students that surge into the halls gave room for some unscrupulous ones to pilfer people’s properties including mobile phones.
A 2023 student of Communication and Media Studies, one Ikkake- Abasi, described the merger as unwise, suspecting the influx of some faceless folks.
“The decision to merge was not a wise one at all; it’s affecting both students and lecturers, the number of students are increasing everyday, I literally see new faces everyday.
“I don’t know the amount of students in my session, but they should be up to 400, GST classes are not even an option, personally, I haven’t attended one before, I’m always outside no matter how early I arrive the venue. It’s frustrating,” Ikkake-Abasi lamented.
Some students also decried that they have sustained injuries and bruises as a result of trying to make their way into the hall amid a mammoth crowd.
According to them, they get injured as some of them are either pushed against the wall or to the floor by other students while trying to make their way into the lecture halls.
Meanwhile, in a chat with the Head of Department of Journalism, and Secretary of the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies, Dr. Nsikak Idiong, he explained that the merger of the two academic sessions was something that had to be done.
“Some newly-admitted students have expressed their joy being admitted by the university earlier than intended, but their joy seems to be shortlived because the learning environment is nothing to write home about.
“You should understand that merging of the students in one year was necessitated or compelled by the COVID-19 lock down, and of course the strike.
“It isn’t the fault of the students nor is it the fault of the university administration; in fact, to be sincere, the university management is just trying to make the best out of a difficult situation, so nobody can actually blame them,” he explained.
Dr. Idiong further stated that the Vice Chancellor has been able to handle the situation in a dynamic manner in order to remedy the situation and to reduce inconveniences that the students might encounter.
“I am aware now that students of the 2022 sets are to attend their lectures from Monday to Wednesday, while the 2023 set are to attend lectures from Thursdays to Saturdays,” he further noted
He said before the decision was arrived at, the VC consulted departmental heads and other management staff.
“We the heads of department were sensitised, the Vice Chancellor had a meeting along with other members of the university management staff and explained to us the situation, solicited our cooperation as well as the that of the lecturers in the university,” he concluded.
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