UNIPORT Reopens For Academic Activities

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) on Monday resumed academic activities after five months strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The university’s spokesman, Dr Williams Wodi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Port Harcourt that the university reopened its campus to students on Sunday to enable them to resume lectures.
He, however, said that the university had no plans to speed-up lectures in order to meet up its 2013/2014 academic session lost to the ASUU strike.

“The National Universities Commission (NUC) stipulates the number of credit hours every student must cover to be eligible to write exams.
“We are going to cover 36 credit hours per week, as stipulated by NUC, and there is no compromise about that. We are going to lecture until we finish the second semester.
“We have been on strike for 169 days, and so, no university will be allowed to cut corners as clearly stated by the NUC.

“Students should return to classes because normal lectures are on. Some lecturers are threatening to set tests (to punish students who fail to resume).”

A visit to the university campus by NAN correspondent revealed that students had yet to fully return to campus after the Christmas and New Year holidays.
A post-graduate student of the university, Mr Vitalis Sekibo, expressed fears that a rush to conclude lectures to meet up the university’s academic calendar would have negative effects on students.
According to him, most social activities in the university campus may be sacrificed for serious academic work which will not be good for students.