UNICROSS responds to vanguard report on alleged matriculation Gown fee Dispute

The attention of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has been drawn to a misleading report published by Vanguard newspaper on January 28, 2026, titled “Tension in UNICROSS as VC Insists on N10,000 for Matriculation Gown.” The University wishes to categorically refute the claims contained in the report.

While members of the Joint Action Congress (JAC) of UNICROSS are currently observing a sit-at-home action due to the delayed payment of December 2025 salaries, there is no tension whatsoever arising from any alleged matriculation gown fee. The report’s suggestion to the contrary is inaccurate.

Although the University’s 24th matriculation ceremony has been postponed, the postponement is entirely unrelated to the cost of matriculation gowns. Circular No. 504, issued on Monday, January 26, 2026, and signed by the University Registrar, Dr. Catherine Osai, clearly states that the postponement was solely due to the ongoing JAC protest.

The report further alleges that the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, unilaterally fixed the cost of renting academic gowns at N10,000. This claim is false and misleading. UNICROSS, as a public academic institution, operates within established administrative procedures and collective decision-making structures. No single officer, including the Vice Chancellor, takes or enforces such decisions unilaterally.

Contrary to the report, the N10,000 referenced in Circular No. 505 is an administrative error and does not represent the approved matriculation fee payable by students. The correct matriculation fee is N7,000, as clearly stated on the University’s official portal. This amount includes applicable bank service charges and the cost of a full-colour matriculation brochure containing essential information for matriculating students.

It is also on record that some students had already paid the previous matriculation fee of N5,500 prior to the update. Available payment records and portal screenshots confirm that no student has paid N10,000 as a matriculation fee.

The report further attributes inflammatory statements to unnamed “students,” including claims of a 100 per cent increase in school fees and alleged extortion. The failure to identify these students or provide verifiable sources renders such claims speculative and undermines the credibility of the report.

Additionally, the assertion that the Registrar attributed the postponement of the matriculation ceremony to “tension generated by the high cost of academic gowns and the increase in school fees” is entirely false. The University challenges Vanguard newspaper to produce any written or verbal record in which the Registrar, Dr. Catherine Osai, made such a statement.

In light of these inaccuracies and misrepresentations, the University expects Vanguard newspaper to issue an immediate correction and retraction, particularly concerning the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, and the false attributions made to the Registrar. Failure to do so will compel the University to pursue all available legal remedies.