The University of Cross River State has raised concerns over the increasing encroachment on its land, prompting the Cross River State Government to issue a stern quit notice to illegal occupants.
The government vowed to reclaim every portion of the university’s property as part of ongoing enforcement efforts.
The renewed action followed an inspection of the affected areas led by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Asset Management and Recovery, Barr. Gilbert Agbor, alongside security officials from the Office of the State Security Adviser.
The visit came after the university management appealed for urgent intervention over the worsening situation.
Agbor said Governor Bassey Otu had directed immediate steps to recover all encroached land belonging to the institution.
He stressed that the administration would not tolerate the continued illegal occupation of public assets.
He also announced that the government had ordered the stoppage of all supply routes for building materials into the affected areas to halt ongoing construction activities. According to him, the directive takes immediate effect and must be strictly obeyed by all concerned.
Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Thomas Ojikpong, commended the governor for responding swiftly to the university’s appeal.
He said the encroachment had reached alarming levels and was already affecting the institution’s expansion plans and academic development.
Also speaking, the university’s Director of Administration and Council Affairs, Mr. Edem Effiong Ekanem, revealed that recent surveys showed nearly 60 percent of the university’s land had been encroached upon.
He noted that the land was legally acquired and gazetted by the state government between 1972 and 1974, expressing confidence that the property would be fully recovered with government support.
