Academic activities are yet to resume at the University of Calabar, three weeks after the suspension of the strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
A check at the university campus by the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Calabar showed that lectures had yet to begin in almost all the departments and faculties.
Some of the students, who were seen at the campus, attributed the poor turn-out of students and delay in the resumption of lectures to the Christmas and New Year holidays.
A final year student in the Department of Economics, Mr Philip Tawo, said “we were supposed to start lectures on January 6, but some lecturers are yet to show up and so many students who travelled for the Christmas holiday have not returned”.
Mrs Joy Emeka, a second year student of Law Faculty who was seen sitting at the lecture hall, said that she was supposed to have a lecture at 8 a.m, but the lecturer did not show up.
“ASUU suspended its strike in December, and since then we have not had lectures; though the timetable is out, full academic activities would commence next week,” she said.
Commenting on the situation, a lecturer at the Department of Marketing, Mr Patrick Mbum, said that the new academic calendar for the second semester 2012/2013 had been released.
Mbum added that serious teaching and learning would begin next week.
According to him, many students will resume next week as some of them are still waiting for their parents to settle them financially.
NAN also observed that economic activities within the vicinity of the university were gradually picking up.
