UNIPORT dissolves Students’ Union; NANS condemns action

The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) has abruptly dissolved all Students’ Union Government (SUG) activities, effective immediately. The university management has instructed all elected student leaders to relinquish union property and prepare to appear before an investigative panel to account for their leadership.

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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.

This directive, outlined in a memorandum dated July 19 and signed by the Dean of Student Affairs on the Vice-Chancellor's orders, affects the three arms of the Students' Union, Hall Representatives, and all related activities. The memo states the dissolution is "until further notice."

Affected student leaders are required to surrender all union property, including official documents, financial records, keys, and identification materials, to the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs. They have been warned that failure to comply with these directives will result in disciplinary action. The university has not yet disclosed the specific reasons for the dissolution or the details of the ongoing investigation.

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

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has strongly condemned UNIPORT's action, labeling it a breach of students' democratic rights. NANS President Akinteye Afeez stated that while investigations are permissible, they must follow due process. He argued that dissolving a democratically elected body without transparency or a fair hearing constitutes an abuse of administrative power. NANS is calling for the dissolution order to be suspended, for the university to publicly state its reasons, and for an impartial investigative panel to be formed.

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