NANS condemns UNIPORT’s dissolution of students’ union

The University of Port Harcourt management has dissolved all Students' Union Government activities with immediate effect, instructing elected student leaders to relinquish union property and face an investigative panel. The directive, issued via a memorandum signed by the Dean of Student Affairs, Prof. Geoffrey Woke, on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Princewill Chike, dissolves the union's three arms, hall representatives, and all related activities.

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

Affected student leaders are required to hand over union property, including official documents, financial records, keys, and identification materials, to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. They must also appear before an investigative panel when summoned. The university warned that failure to comply with these directives would result in disciplinary sanctions. The specific reasons for the dissolution and the details of the ongoing investigation were not disclosed by the institution.

Reacting to the decision, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the university's action, labeling it a violation of students' democratic rights. NANS President Babatunde Akinteye stated that while university authorities can investigate allegations, due process must be followed. "Dissolving a democratically elected union without due process, transparency and fair hearing amounts to an abuse of administrative powers," Akinteye said.

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

Akinteye argued that the Students' Union is the legitimate representative body of students and cannot be dissolved through an administrative directive without clear justification. He stressed that affected officials should first be informed of any allegations and given an opportunity to defend themselves. NANS also raised concerns about the sequence of events, questioning the transparency and fairness of an investigative process that requires leaders to surrender documents before appearing before the panel.

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