The Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Florence Obi, has directed that the new fees introduced by the institution be put on hold until further notice.

The directive is contained in a statement issued by UNICAL’s Registrar, Mr Gabriel Egbe, and made available to newsmen on Monday.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the management of the institution had approved an adjustment in school fees after its emergency meeting on December 1.

The students reacted to the development on Monday, when they embarked on a massive protest that brought academic and official activities in the institution to a halt.

In the statement, the vice chancellor disclosed that the directive to put the new charges on hold was in reaction to the protest.

The statement read in part: “The management of this institution is a listening administration. We want to assure the students as critical stakeholders that appropriate arrangements have been put in place through constructive engagements with the students to resolve the matter.

“The management, however, commends the students for the mature, reasonable and civilised manner exhibited towards resolving the matter.”

The new charges meant that freshers, returning students and final year students for non-science courses were to pay N111,000, N91,500 and N114,000, respectively.

They were also to pay N36,500, N21,500 and N21,500, respectively, as third party’s dues.

Similarly, charges for the science courses were increased to N155,000, N125,000 and N148,000, respectively, for freshers, returning students and final year students.

This category of students were also to pay N38,500, N21,500 and N21,500, respectively, as third party’s dues.

Before the adjustment, an average student, depending on the department, paid N64,050 as fresher, N52,050 as final year and N49,500 as returnee.