By Caleb Ijioma
Students of Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti have expressed disapproval of new policies rolled out by the institution recently.
They are concerned about how some of these policies can affect them and are calling the management to make amends to some of these policies.
Management attached penalty to hugging, others
Management of the Federal Polytechnic Ado Ekiti in a memo dated April 20 and signed by the Deputy Registrar, Students’ Affairs, Mrs. Ajayi O.F placed a ban on some student dressings, hairstyles, and other activities.
She claimed that these sanctions were recommended by the Students’ Welfare Committee (SWC) and approved at the 110th statutory meeting held on Thursday, 17th, and Friday, 18th of March, 2022.
The policy tagged “Indecent dressing/posture” has one or two-semester attached as sanctions.
According to the policy, Students who wear tattered jeans, micro-mini jeans, jump tops, off-shoulder clothes, transparent wear, bump shorts and backless clothes will be suspended for a semester.
Also, “unconventional style of wearing fez cap”, tattoo, dreadlocks, coloured hairs, sagging, intimate open embrace, sitting openly on the lap of opposite sex attracts a semester suspension.
Students were warned to desist from taking cars to school or face a semester suspension and impoundment of their vehicle. Also, crazy hairstyles for men have been banned and attract a two-semester suspension.
Nursing mothers and pregnant students are equally not allowed into the hostel and refusal attracts a semester suspension. Students who bring babies to the hostel and classroom will be ejected from the hostel for one semester.
Students task management on policy review
An ND2 student, Solomon Oluwafemi urged the management to review the policy noting that it can limit the rights of students
“Some of these policies should be reviewed. Our school is now tagged advance secondary school since it looks like we are captured to operate within a circle”
“I know one of the reasons management brought together those policies is to ensure good morals alongside quality education, but the rights of the students should not be put at ransom also. They should review some of the policies” he said
Omobolanle Idris from banking and finance said these policies will bring inconvenience to students especially those who are married with children.
“The issue we’re just having is the penalty for the policies, which is a semester suspension. We just feel it shouldn’t be this harsh. There are some new policies introduced that we’re not comfortable with Like that of impounding a student’s car if brought to school, bringing of babies to the classroom”
“That should not be included because it would an inconvenience for most students. Some are married women and have no one to drop their kids off for, then they’ve to bring them to class. We want the management to adjust these few policies” she said
Ifeanyi Okechukwu from the civil engineering department said the school’s decision to ban cars owned by students is cruel despite the inadequate transport system in the school. He opined that a part of the sanctions can lead to death.
“The banning of cars owned by students in the school is another cruel decision made by the management when they did not have adequate transport management for students in and out of the school. This will affect our academics adversely. Also, Students share love by embracing each other, now exchanging pleasantries is now a crime. The management is just being hard on us”
“ laws made with violence will result in annoyance, so all those rules will result in issues between the students and security personnel charged to implement them. Learning under these harsh conditions will drop the academics excellence drastically”
“ The mistake of pregnancy should not be punished at that length and student may intend to abort such pregnancy and in so doing things may occur such as the death of such person, damaging of the womb, killing of Future leaders,” he said
A mass communication student, Sandra Williams, told Within Nigeria that the new policies are unfair and students are not happy about it.
“These new policies of theirs are so unfair to students. How can school management stop students from bringing their cars to school? It is not appropriate, also, hugging another gender shouldn’t be an issue that will make management suspend a student for a whole semester. All students are not okay with these new policies. When it’s not a secondary school. They should amend the policies” she said
Ibrahim Yusuf of Accountancy said the management didn’t consider the students when drafting the policies. He said many students will fall victim if the policies are not reviewed.
” I’m afraid many students will be suspended. Hugging isn’t bad but our institution has made it a crime. They didn’t even consider the students when making these policies. We are not kids for crying out loud, even kids hug each other now. This is funny and devastating. Then management should review the policies” he said
Adetutu Babatunde advised the management to create laws that would protect students rather than creating policies that won’t foster a good relationship.
”So now because of these laws, I can’t hug or even play with my friends. This is pathetic. The management should create laws that would protect students and their rights instead of trying to cause disunity. They should review these policies, this is very wrong”
”The management is fond of imposing laws that are not student-friendly. This is deliberate wickedness. The management should look into these laws and make changes” she said
The management efforts to curb indecent dressing amongst students are well perceived but some of the policies like the ban on cars and public hugging are wrong, Abiodun Emmanuel told Within Nigeria
” The management is trying to curb indecent dressing and it Is well appreciated. A citadel of learning should encourage students to dress well, however, it is wrong for you to ban cars and place sanctions on public hugging. All these laws were not even present in public universities during their years in school. This is wrong.” He said
Another student, Yemisi Ajike, faulted the management ban on cars. She said it is a misplaced priority and the management should focus on improving the student’s welfare and academic environment.
” There are so many things that the management can shift their attention to, like improving the transport system in the school and creating a conducive environment for learning rather than placing a ban on irrelevant things. It is a shift of focus. They just want to make students stay on this campus unbearable” she said
Some policies are wrong – NANS
A factional Southwest (Zone D) coordinator of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) Adegboye Olatunji, who spoke to reporter said that the management was wrong to have made such policies.
He said cars owned by students should be registered instead of a total ban by the management.
“This is where we are getting this thing wrong, how will they say no cars and also telling ladies not to bring babies to class. It’s uncalled for because they can’t stop it even with these rules”
“We still understand that most of what they said is valid but they can’t stop students from bringing cars to school, they can only tell students to register their cars with the School,” he said
Olatunji urged the management to review the policies.
“What the management sent out is wrong and I believe that the student union and student leaders were not carried along when they made these policies”
“We should kick against indecent dressing in the school premises and the school management should reduce the laid down laws. Cars should be allowed but tinted glass shouldn’t be allowed in the school premises. The school should review these laws” he said.