Umar Musa Yar’adua University management responds to “religious ban” allegations

The Management of the Umar Musa Yar’adu University has responded to a memo circulating which shows that the school management restricts non-muslim religious activity. 

A memo circulated over the weekend, showing that the management of the school is restricting non-muslim religious activity in the school. 

The memo was sent by the acting Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Sulaiman Kankara to all student clubs and associations in the school. 

It read partly: “The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria is the only religious association allowed to operate in the university.”

Part of the 17th of January internal memo also reads: 

“All tribal and local government associations are prohibited by the university.”

 

Following this, the management of the University has called this memo

In a Facebook post on the school’s official page, they have called it erroneous. The school’s registrar, Fatima S. Kaita reads;

“The attention of the Management of Umaru Musa Yar’adua University, Katsina has been drawn to the circulation of the contents of an erroneous internal memo addressed to all its Students signed by the Ag. Dean, Student Affairs.” Reaffirming religious freedom, she said.

Is this new?

Nigerian schools have a history of religious intolerance, from private universities and schools banning all form of religious activity that doesn't align to theirs, among other things.

In 2014 for example, the Rivers State University of Science, soldiers were deployed to demolish the place where Muslim students gather for religious activities, people were harassed and injured.

A student who was recording the demolition had his phone destroyed and got beat up.

What needs to be done?

Authorities in Nigerian schools need to understand the importance and sanctity of the law over person sentiments and prejudice.

The Nigerian constitution already makes provision for the freedom of religion and association.

Perhaps, we need to see more action from the government to enforce and implement to foster unity and singularity of purpose

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Massive protest as policemen open fire on students

Some policemen with no uniform were alleged to have shot at the victims on Saturday morning.
 

Two students of the University of Osun, Osogbo have been reportedly shot by some trigger happy policemen leaving them with serious injuries.

The first victims, Abiola Kazeem was shot in the stomach, while the other, simply known as Ibrahim sustained an injury in his mouth.

According to Punch News, the incident happened on Saturday, January 21, 2017 while the students were playing a game a football.

The policemen stormed the venue where the victims were engaging themselves in the sporting activity screaming 'Yahoo boys', then subsequently shooting in quick succession at them.

Saheed Afolabi, the Coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students, South West confirmed the news according to Punch.

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LASU Clarifies What Constitutes Academic Fraud

Academic Fraud is any act by a student that may result in a distorted academic evaluation for that student or another.

Academic Fraud in the Lagos State University include but is not limited to activities such as:

-Plagiarism or cheating in any way;

-Submitting work not partially or fully the student’s own, excluding properly cited quotations and references. Such work includes assignments, essays, tests, exams, research reports and theses, regardless of whether the work is written, oral or another form;

-Presenting research data that are forged, falsified or fabricated;

-Attributing a statement of fact or reference to a fabricated source.

-Submitting the same work or a large part of the same piece of work in more than one course, or a thesis or any other piece of work submitted elsewhere without the prior approval of the appropriate academics (Lecturer in charge, level coordinator, departmental head etc);

-Falsifying or misrepresenting an academic evaluation, using forged or altered supporting documents or facilitating the use such documents;

-Taking any action aimed at falsifying an academic evaluation

The Lagos State University does not tolerate academic fraud. Students (Undergraduate and Postgraduate) are kindly advised to familiarize with the above listed as defaulters will face stiff disciplinary actions.

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LASU Clarifies What Constitutes Indecent Dressing On Campus

The attention of University Management has been drawn to misgivings on the part of students regarding the constituents of ‘Indecent Dressing’ and the implementation of the rules pertaining this.

Management wishes to state categorically that extant constituents of inappropriate dressing are as contained in the Students’ Code of Conduct Form which was considered and approved at the 232nd Statutory Meeting of Senate on Thursday, 29th September, 2016 and is available on the registration portal. These are listed in 1-16 below.

The following constitute inappropriate modes of dressing by students which shall attract sanctions from the University:

-Wearing transparent dresses, mini and skimpy skirts/dresses, and other clothes revealing sensitive parts of the body.
-Wearing tattered, dirty jeans with holes or obscene subliminal messages.
-Wearing “baggy”, “saggy”, “yansh,” “ass level” and over length trousers.
-Wearing tight fitting apparels that reveal body shape and contours of the body.
-Wearing T-Shirt and Tops with obscene, obnoxious or seductive inscription.
-Wearing of loose tie, folding, holding and pocketing of tie.
-Wearing shirts without buttons, improperly buttoned, rolling of sleeves or flying collar.
-Wearing of face Caps or complete covering of face.
-Piercing of body and tattooing.
-Wearing of ear rings by male students.
-Wearing of nose ring, very big, dropping ear rings and necklaces by female students.
-Wearing of distractive knocking shoes like stiletto heels to lecture rooms and the Library is frowned at and students may be denied admittance to such places.
-Plaiting, weaving, bonding of hair by male students.
-Knickers, tight shorts and slacks are allowed only for sports.
-Wearing of slippers is not allowed.
-Wearing of lousy, unkempt, extremely bogus hair or artificial hair.

For the avoidance of doubt, there is no rule in Lagos State University forbidding female students from wearing earrings and necklaces.

Equally, there is no rule forbidding female students from wearing naturalor artificial hair below shoulder level.
Item 11. above is not in reference to necklaces as such but very big dropping necklaces, just as item 16. has nothing in common with item q. subsection xix of LASU’s Code of Conduct for Students (page 78, in the Students’ Handbook, 2016 where ‘hair attachment beyond shoulder length’ is mentioned, and which has been invalidated by the amendment of 29th September, 2016.

What we have witnessed in recent days are products of misinterpretation on the part of a few officials and amplification of these minor misunderstandings by scaremongers.

Management is using this medium to assure our dear students that appropriate steps have been taken to correct the lapses in implementation and all students are enjoined to go about their academic and social activities on campus peacefully.

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