UniCal matriculates 9,200 students

The University of Calabar has matriculated 9, 200 new students for the 2017/2018 academic year with the Faculty of Education recording the highest with 2,226 students, seconded by the Faculty of Social Sciences with 1,125. Faculty of Pharmacy admitted only 45 students, being the least in the admission record. The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Zana Akpagu, made this known yesterday during the matriculation ceremony which took place at the Abraham Ordia stadium, Unical.
According to the VC, “37, 278 candidates applied to the University to study various courses. Of this number, 27,028 wrote the screening test from which 9200 candidates were off ered admission having been found successful in the mandatory Unifi ed Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).” Akpagu said the number increased signifi cantly due to introduction of new programmes such as Dentistry, Marine Biology, Human Nutrition and Food Science, Pharmacy, Engineering among others, and lamented that the increase was impacting on the institution’s infrastructure and facilities such as lecture rooms, hostel accommodation and utilities. “On that note, we are spending greater part of our revenue in maintaining the existing infrastructure,” he stated, and noted that the management of the institution “will continue to be prudent with, and make judicious use of our meagre resources by blocking every possible leakage.” The VC advised students against socialising with any association, including secret cults, which has been proscribed by the University, saying any student found involved in cultism would be expelled. “Let me also use this opportunity to assure you of maximum security. We are on course to achieving uninterrupted power supply via an ongoing solar energy project with German government,” he stated.