For more than five years now, Mondays at the Uturu campus of Abia State University (ABSU) have been defined by a lull in activities.
What was once viewed as a temporary response to insecurity has gradually transformed into a long-standing reality, one that began in 2021 and has endured so consistently that many students now describe Mondays as a “perpetual holiday.”
Over time, the Monday sit-at-home has become so entrenched that it feels unofficially embedded into the university’s academic calendar. Fresh students are informed of it almost immediately upon arrival, academic schedules are adjusted around it, and students now plan their week with the assumption that nothing academic will happen on Mondays. Yet beneath this surface-level adjustment lies a growing sense of frustration, and uncertainty.
The dominant question on students’ minds remains: when will it be over? And if there is no concrete plan to end the sit-at-home, some students ask – half-jokingly but with real concern– when the Abia State Government intends to extend this “goodwill” to other universities, secondary schools, and even primary schools in Abia State.
Originally introduced amid rising insecurity linked to separatist agitations in the South-East, the sit-at-home was largely justified as a safety measure. However, five years on, many students believe the prolonged nature of the disruption has done more harm than good, particularly to academic progress, student morale, and the university’s competitiveness relative to other institutions.
To better understand how students perceive the situation, Campus Life sought the views of students from different faculties and levels at ABSU Uturu. Their responses reveal a spectrum of opinions, ranging from resignation and acceptance to frustration, concern, and outright opposition.
Goodluck Chijindu, a part-time 200-Level Marketing student, said the sit-at-home has become a norm he has lived with for years, even before gaining admission into the university.
“It’s been quite constant, and we’ve gotten used to it. I live in Okigwe, and I started experiencing the sit-at-home during my secondary school days, long before I got admitted into ABSU. It’s because of Nnamdi Kanu’s case. Even though he has been sentenced, that doesn’t automatically end the sit-at-home. For many people, the case is only truly over when he is released and becomes a free man. Until then, I feel there’s little the government can realistically do to stop it,” he said.
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Goodluck’s response reflects a common sentiment among students who see the sit-at-home as a deeply rooted political and social issue, one that goes beyond university administration or even state government authority.
In contrast, some students, particularly those in their first year, appear less troubled by the situation. Precious Nwigwe, a 100-Level student of Medicine and Surgery, gave a brief but striking response.
“It helps me a lot. I like it. I don’t want it to stop,” she said.
While her comment raises mixed reactions, it highlights an important reality: freshers, who are yet to fully experience the cumulative academic delays caused by repeated disruptions, may perceive the sit-at-home as a welcome break rather than a structural problem.
Joy Anyahara, a 100-Level Public Health student, offered a more nuanced position. Although she dislikes the academic consequences of the sit-at-home, she believes security considerations justify the practice.
“I don’t like it because it’s extending the academic calendar and forcing us to have lectures on Saturdays, which we normally use to rest or do personal chores. But I don’t really blame the government. I don’t think it’s unfair that Umuahia campus has lectures on Mondays while Uturu doesn’t. Umuahia is a city and is more secure. The sit-at-home is meant for our safety, so I don’t see it as unfair,” she explained.
Her comments bring attention to the internal disparity within ABSU itself. While students at the Umuahia campus often attend lectures on Mondays, their counterparts in Uturu remain at home. This difference has fueled feelings of inequality among some students, while others, like Joy, see it as a necessary response to differing security realities.
For many students, however, the academic cost of the sit-at-home overshadows any perceived benefits. Chibuike Destiny, a 200-Level student of History and International Relations, believes the policy should be brought to an end.
“It should be stopped because it’s unnecessarily lengthening the academic session. Other schools like the University of Calabar (UNICAL) and Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) are far ahead of us. The government should really step in and find a solution,” she said.
Chibuike’s concern echoes a widely shared frustration among students who feel ABSU is falling behind its peers. Extended academic calendars often mean delayed graduations, disrupted career plans, and increased financial pressure on students and their families.
Prosper Chidera, a 300-Level Medicine and Surgery student, shares this frustration but also acknowledges the complexity of the situation.
“I don’t like the sit-at-home one bit. It’s slowing our university down. Even MOUAU, which is in the same state as us, is moving faster academically. Initially, it was because of Nnamdi Kanu, but now that he has been sentenced, what’s the point? Other states have called it off. If it were in our power as students, it would have been reversed long ago,” he said.
However, Prosper added that security realities make the issue far from straightforward.
“Okigwe, which is very close to Uturu, is highly insecure. There’s a history of attacks on people who defied sit-at-home orders by opening their businesses. If students are asked to resume lectures on Mondays and something happens, it could be disastrous. Also, Okigwe is in Imo State, which is not under the Abia State Governor’s jurisdiction. So realistically, there’s little the governor can do. For now, we just have to watch, wait, and hope the future turns out better,” he said.
Beyond individual opinions, the sit-at-home has had far-reaching effects on the structure of academic life at ABSU Uturu. Lecturers are often forced to compress course outlines, weekend lectures have become increasingly common, and examination timetables are frequently adjusted to accommodate lost time. Students complain that these changes affect learning quality, increase stress levels, and reduce time available for rest, extracurricular activities, and personal development.
Some students also worry about the long-term reputation of the university. As other institutions progress steadily through their academic calendars, ABSU’s repeated disruptions risk portraying it as unstable or slow-moving, a perception that could affect prospective students and academic partnerships.
Yet despite the growing dissatisfaction, many students acknowledge that personal safety remains paramount. With reports of insecurity in surrounding areas, particularly in neighbouring Okigwe, fear continues to shape decision-making. This fear, more than policy or politics, appears to be the strongest force sustaining the sit-at-home.
As the Monday sit-at-home stretches into yet another academic session, ABSU students remain caught between two competing realities: the need for safety and the desire for a stable, uninterrupted academic calendar. While opinions differ on whether the practice should continue or be abolished, there is a shared longing for clarity, consistency, and meaningful progress.
Until decisive action is taken or security conditions improve, Mondays at ABSU Uturu will likely remain silent, defined not by lectures, debates, or intellectual engagement, but by unanswered questions about the future of education in an environment shaped by prolonged uncertainty.
