Tension has gripped the University of Calabar (UNICAL) following the forceful eviction of occupants from the institution’s Boys’ Quarters (BQs), as senior staff accuse management of abuse of power, while the university insists the action was approved by the Governing Council.

The Boys’ Quarters were originally designed to accommodate domestic staff and dependents of senior university employees, but have become the subject of a growing dispute after management began reclaiming and reallocating them to junior staff.

An anonymous senior staff member told reporters that university security personnel and staff of the Security and Technical Services Department (SAT) recently broke into several BQs, throwing out belongings of occupants, including those away on sabbatical or official duties.

“If I’m paying for the main house, I should have the right to use the BQ for my dependents, house helps, or relations. Some of our colleagues returned to find their doors broken and personal items thrown outside. This is not acceptable in a university environment,” the source said.

Another senior staff member, who also preferred anonymity, described the eviction as high-handed and demeaning to senior members of the academic community.

“Is the management saying our house helps should now sleep in our bedrooms because the BQs have been seized?” the source asked, warning that the situation could lead to a breakdown of law and order if not properly handled.

The university management, however, defended its decision, saying the exercise followed due process and was aimed at addressing accommodation challenges for junior staff and curbing unethical practices.

Speaking on behalf of the institution, the spokesperson, Mr Eyo Effiong, said the Governing Council directed that all staff should vacate the Boys’ Quarters after evidence showed many were being rented out to students and outsiders.

“Council decided that staff should give up their Boys’ Quarters. Letters were issued notifying them that the BQs had been revoked, and occupants were asked to vacate on or before April 30, 2025,” Effiong explained.

He said investigations revealed that staff collected between N80,000 and N350,000 yearly from students and outsiders while paying the university much less, describing the practice as embarrassing and unethical.

Effiong added that the university also discovered security threats linked to some occupants.

“We even found a case where someone in the BQ provided information to kidnappers. That incident reinforced the need to review the use of these quarters,” he said.

According to him, the reclaimed apartments will be allocated directly to junior staff through the university’s housing department to ensure accountability and proper rent deductions.

“This policy affects all senior staff who misuse the facility, not just professors. Those with genuine grievances can approach the Governing Council, which approved the decision,” he stated. (The Guardian)