PRESS RELEASE: CALL TO ACTION – STUDENTS DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY ON THE CAC REGISTRATION SCANDAL

The time has come for students of the University of Abuja to rise and demand answers regarding the long-standing CAC registration debacle that has continued to exploit students without any form of accountability.

The CAC registration scheme, introduced during the 2020/2021 academic session by the then Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Abdulrasheed Nallah, was presented as a golden opportunity for students. We were promised that with just ₦11,000, we would graduate not only with our degrees but also with a CAC business registration certificate—a tool to propel us into entrepreneurship and self-reliance.

Five years later, this promise has turned into a cruel joke.

Students who paid this fee as far back as 2020/2021 have graduated, completed their NYSC, and moved on with life, yet the CAC certificates remain elusive. No one has been held accountable, and no transparent explanation has been provided regarding the millions of naira collected from students.

Worse still, the fees have been hiked repeatedly—from ₦11,000 to ₦17,000—and now, we are being threatened with another increase to a staggering ₦25,000 by August 1st, 2025. This is happening while those who paid years ago are still waiting in vain. How can the authorities justify this extortionary scheme?

These Our Questions demands answers:

1. What happened to the money collected since 2020?
2. Where are the certificates promised to students who have even completed NYSC?
3. Why is the Student Union Government (SUG) posting threats from CAC instead of standing up for students?
4. Has the SUG become a mere decoration, or is it now a toothless bulldog that cannot bite?

We call upon the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Patricia Manko Lar, the Dean of Students Affairs, Dr. Idoko Sunday Idoko and the SUG President Comr. Jamiu Tobi to take decisive action. The CAC consultants and their collaborators must be called to order. Students are not fools, and our silence should not be mistaken for weakness.

Enough is Enough!

Students are currently preparing for their examinations, yet they are being harassed and distracted by this CAC threat memo. How can students focus on academics when they are being subjected to financial and mental pressure over a registration process that has consistently failed?

This is no longer just a registration issue; it is a matter of accountability, transparency, and respect for students' rights. If no concrete action is taken, we will have no choice but to escalate this matter to the Federal Ministry of Education, the CAC Headquarters, and even the media at a national level.

We demand:

1. An official statement on the status of CAC certificates for all affected students.
2. A refund or issuance of certificates to students who have paid since 2020.
3. A halt to any fee hike until all past certificates are delivered.
4. Immediate intervention from SUG leadership, who must defend students' interests instead of acting as mouthpieces for exploitative policies.

The University of Abuja students are not pushovers, and we will not allow this injustice to continue.

The time for action is NOW.