By Onwa Ekor
Illegal occupants of land belonging to the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), have been ordered to quit immediately.
The order follows an appeal from the university’s management over the escalating encroachment on its land.
Special Adviser to the governor on Asset Management and Recovery, Barr. Gilbert Agbor, gave the directives when he alongside security officials from the Office of the State Security Adviser, paid a visit to the academic citadel.
Agbor said the governor, Prince Bassey Otu, had directed immediate and decisive action to reclaim all encroached portions of the university’s land, stressing that, the administration would not tolerate further illegal occupation of public assets.
“The instruction of His Excellency is very clear; every inch of land that has been encroached upon must be recovered. There will be no compromise,” he declared.
He described the level of encroachment on the institution’s property as “massive and embarrassing,” maintaining that urgent steps were necessary to halt further illegal development.
“The governor has ordered, effective immediately, the stoppage of all supply routes for building materials into the affected areas as part of measures to enforce compliance while halting ongoing construction activities,” Agbor said, cautioning that, “this directive must be taken seriously.”
The Asset Management and Recovery Adviser said: “government is issuing a clear warning to all illegal occupants to vacate immediately as government will retrieve every portion of its land, and enforcement will continue until full recovery is achieved.”
He added that a comprehensive operation would follow to ensure total reclamation of the university’s property to prevent future encroachment.
Vice Chancellor of UNICROSS, Prof. Francisca Bassey, represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Thomas Ojikpong, described the government’s intervention as timely and reassuring.
“I commend Otu for his swift response to the worrisome situation.
“At this point, decisive measures must be taken to reclaim the land for the betterment of the institution and future generations of students,” he remarked.
He said the encroachment had not only reached alarming level but poses a serious threat to the university’s expansion plans and academic development.
“We cried out to government because our land has been taken over by intruders, and it is now affecting our ability to expand and implement key academic programmes,” he said.
Also speaking, the Director of Administration and Council Affairs of the university, Mr. Edem Effiong Ekanem, disclosed that recent surveys indicated that nearly 60 percent of the university’s land had already been encroached upon.
He explained that earlier assessments placed the figure between 50 and 52 percent, noting that the situation had worsened significantly over time.
Ekanem said the land was legally acquired and gazetted by the state government between 1972 and 1974, affirming that the ownership was not in dispute.
He added that despite challenges such as tampered beacon markings, the university remained confident of the full recovery of its land with government support.
