By Maxwell, Uyo

In 2013, the Faculty of Pharmacy block in the University of Uyo was set ablaze by rioting students. Information gathered from some sources had it that the protest which led to the destruction of school property was triggered by increment in school fees, but the remote cause of razing the building, I learnt, was Pharmacy students attitude towards non pharmacy students who intended using their classrooms for night class. Same issue occurred some weeks ago, students of English were locked out of same block by pharmacy students, this led to a little fracas between the two sides. But the school management kept quiet.

It seems history is about to repeat itself. Examinations have started, due to shortage of classrooms in the town and annex campuses, students have to share halls to do their night reading. But yesterday, Pharmacy students locked out non pharmacy students in the same block. Same thing happened at College of Health Sciences in which non medical students were locked out. The aggrieved students protested for a while, some had to return to their hostels disappointed. The school management is silent about this. The students are not fools, they have emotions, they can be angry and anger can cause anything, but they are Tuskers, and must display 'ivory' attitudes.

Recently, the hostel accommodation fee has been raised from N8,000 to N12,000 when no facility has been repaired, no room has been repainted, toilets are deplorable and many socket outlets are not working. Yet we're students who must be proud ambassadors of our school. Sometimes, too much loyalty kills one's sense of judgement. But I'm a Tusker, I must remain silent in the face of oppression. The student Union is silent about the matter, activities go on as per… but there are times when silence becomes betrayal.

In my Tusker's Republic, school resumes on a fixed date, three or four weeks later, departments are yet to release lecture timetable, lecturers are yet to give out course outline. But once exams timetable is out, some lecturers will use an hour to lecturer four to five topics. Some even fix tests and classes on Sundays just to clear their conscience. Many bring into exams topics they never taught. And then you'll wonder why in a class of 170 students, 60 fail a course, and the result is still posted online.

They say the three core values of a university are: learning, research and community service. But what happens to a school without a bookshop and a printing press? It means research and look for where to get it published. I say again, too much loyalty kills the truth. There are times when silence becomes betrayal. The school teaches us virtues such as honesty and integrity, they punish us for cheating in exams, but same school teaches us to lie, to say things that are not as if they are, so as to portray a good image of the school when Nigerian University Commission pays a visit. Same school has no facility, but once NUC decides to pay a visit, then everything is provided within the span of two weeks. Buildings repainted, fans in classrooms, fixed, office blocks, arranged. Then we blame the government of corruption. Uniuyo is a brand, I'll protect it. I'm protecting it.

They say the pen is mightier than the sword, I do not write to castigate, or to implicate and indict, I write to correct. Annex campus is now a cattle ranch, either you watch your steps or step on cattle dungs, the students have posted and written a lot about it, nothing has changed, we're tuskers, we must protect our brand.
Think about it..

Graduate and leave just like us...
It's a federal school, the SUG have never
Had a say in the school runnings. .

Graduate and leave in peace
Don't attract extra years cause u think ur an activist
As an alumni that's my advise to you.

It is the same thing in most universities down south, lack of classrooms and laboratories.

That's terrible!