The Management of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) has addressed concerns surrounding delays and challenges with the institution’s result portal, assuring students and stakeholders that concrete steps have been taken to resolve the issues and strengthen transparency.
At a press briefing held at the NUJ Secretariat, the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Francisca Bassey, was unavoidably absent and was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Stella Maria Okey, alongside the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Prof. Thomas Ojikpong, and the Director of Examinations and Results, Engr. Dr. Anderson Etika.
Prof. Stella Okey explained that the briefing was convened to clarify widespread misinformation and social media narratives surrounding the UNICROSS results situation. She highlighted that Prof. Francisca Bassey served as Acting Vice-Chancellor from January 26 before her confirmation as substantive Vice-Chancellor in July, noting that the current management has been in office for barely six months but has remained committed to institutional reforms.
She stressed that leadership transitions often come with resistance, adding that not everyone may applaud a new administration, but the focus of the management remains service delivery and institutional stability.
Providing technical insight, Dr. Anderson Etika explained that the result challenges stemmed from the university’s decision to migrate from the old result portal to a new and more secure digital platform. According to him, the migration involved transferring over five million records, covering graduates from the inception of the university in 2002 to 2026, a process he described as complex and unprecedented.
He outlined several factors that contributed to temporary difficulties experienced by the management that caused delayance, including differences between the old and new systems, incompatibility between software frameworks, funding constraints, the complete shutdown of the old portal, and the sheer volume of data involved. He also noted that the new system introduced currently stricter controls, eliminating result manipulation, unauthorized grade editing, and the practice of “buying grades,” which led to resistance from some quarters.
Dr. Etika disclosed that significant progress has already been made. Results from 2017 to 2023 are now fully accessible on the new portal because these are students still in section and need results as in future others will still be available, and going forward, students will be able to access their results within two to three weeks after examinations. He added that once results are submitted, lecturers no longer have the ability to alter them, as all updates must receive approval from the Vice-Chancellor.
He further explained that the upgraded portal is faster, more reliable, and includes provisions for students to submit formal petitions on result-related issues, alongside continuous system updates to improve performance.
Addressing concerns about fees, Dr. Etika clarified that no additional school fees were introduced as a result of the portal upgrade. He noted that extra payments only apply in cases where a student’s academic standing requires an additional year, irrespective of the year reflected on the result.
On anti-corruption measures, he highlighted reforms initiated under the current Vice-Chancellor, including the removal of some Heads of Department, restructuring of academic oversight, and sanctions such as salary seizures for staff found guilty of misconduct.
Dr. Etika also clarified that postgraduate programmes operate independently and are not part of the undergraduate result portal migration, noting that issues relating to UNICROSS SPGS fall outside the scope of the current briefing.
Management concluded by reassuring students and parents of its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the delivery of a credible academic system that reflects the true academic performance of students.
