NANS Condemns UNIPORT's Dissolution of Students' Union

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) condemned the University of Port Harcourt's (UNIPORT) decision to dissolve its students' union, which was announced in a memorandum dated July 19. The memorandum, signed by Dean of Student Affairs Professor Geoffrey Woke, instructed Vice Chancellor Professor Princewill Chike to dissolve the union immediately until further notice.

The dissolution affects all three arms of the student union, and the university has not disclosed specific reasons for this action. NANS President Babatunde Akintey criticized the dissolution as a violation of students' democratic rights and called for the suspension of the order until a transparent investigation is conducted.

Akintey emphasized that the university administration must follow due process and provide the affected student leaders an opportunity to defend themselves. He urged the university to resolve disagreements through dialogue and maintain the legitimacy of the student representation on campus.