UNIPORT dissolves Students’ Union; NANS condemns action

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UNIPORT

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The management of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has dissolved all Students’ Union Government (SUG) activities in the institution with immediate effect.

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The university also directed all elected student leaders to relinquish union property and prepare to appear before an investigative panel to account for their stewardship.

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The directive was contained in a memorandum signed by the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Geoffrey Woke, on the instruction of the newly appointed Vice-Chancellor, Pro. Princewill Chike.

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The memorandum, dated July 19, announced the dissolution of the three arms of the Student’s Union, Hall Representatives and all other union-related activities.

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“I am directed by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Princewill Chike, to notify the three arms of the Student’s Union that they have been dissolved with immediate effect until further notice further notice,” the memo stated.

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The university directed all executive members of the union to hand over union property to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs.

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It also ordered the surrender of official documents, financial records, keys, identification materials and other items belonging to the union.

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According to the memo, affected student leaders are expected to appear before an investigative panel whenever invited.

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The university warned that failure to comply with the directive would attract disciplinary sanctions.

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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the institution did not disclose the reasons for the dissolution or the specific issues under investigation.

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Reacting, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the action, describing it as a violation of student’s democratic rights.

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The National President of NANS, Mr Akinteye Afeez, made the association’s position known in a statement issued on Monday.

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Afeez said that while university authorities had the right to investigate allegations against student leaders, due process must be followed.

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“Dissolving a democratically elected union without due process, transparency and fair hearing amounts to an abuse of administrative powers,” he said.

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According to him, the Student’s Union remains the legitimate representative body of students and cannot be dissolved through an administrative directive without clear justification.

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He argued that affected officials should first be informed of the allegations against them and be given an opportunity to defend themselves.

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Afeez also raised concerns over the directive requiring union leaders to surrender documents and financial records before appearing before the investigative panel.

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“This sequence of events raises questions about the transparency, fairness and independence of the investigative process,” he stated.

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The NANS president called on the university management to suspend implementation of the dissolution order and publicly disclose the reasons behind the action.

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He demanded the constitution of an impartial investigative panel and the guarantee of fair hearing for all affected student leaders.

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“The university authorities must refrain from intimidation, victimisation or disciplinary action against student leaders for carrying out their representative responsibilities,” he said.

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Afeez stressed that NANS was not opposed to accountability and supported sanctions against any student leader found culpable of misconduct after due process.

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He, however, warned that accountability should not be used as a pretext to weaken democratic institutions or suppress legitimate student representation on campus.

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“We urged UNIPORT authorities to resolve disagreements through dialogue, transparent investigation and adherence to established procedures,” he added.

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He disclosed that the association had commenced consultations with relevant stakeholders and would pursue lawful means to protect students’ rights and democratic institutions.

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Afeez reiterated NANS’ demand for the immediate reversal of the dissolution order pending the outcome of what he described as a transparent, impartial and credible investigation.

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(NAN)

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