Varsity to rusticate students over kissing, touching, other violations
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, ATBU, Bauchi, has said it would henceforth rusticate any student who violates the university code of conduct and dress code as contained in the revised student’s handbook.
The revised rules are contained in an internal memo signed by the dean of Students Affairs of the university, Professor U.S. Abdullahi, dated April 27, 2023, and addressed to the president of the Students Union Government and all students of the university.
The dean warned the students and members of the university community against violating the rules, approved during the 161st regular Senate Meeting of the institution held on April 13, 2023.
According to the memo wit REF:ATBU/SAD/SUG/VOL 11/0113 posted on the Facebook page of the university, any student found guilty risks one or two semesters of rustication, depending on the offence.
“I write to inform you that the University Senate has approved the revised Student Handbook at its 161st Regular Senate Meeting held on Thursday, April 13, 2023,” the memo reads.
“The following are extract of the 30 most salient misconducts from the revised Handbook. All students and members of the University community are requested to avoid such types of misconducts,”
The memo said unwelcome touching, kissing, hugging, massaging, or sitting on the laps of opposite sex attracts two semesters rustication.
The memo further said multi-coloured hair for females, dreadlocks, sagging, engaging in reckless driving, tattoos, and extra piercing in the nose, eye and mouth attract one semester suspension.
Other offences include wearing tattered jeans, backless clothes, off shoulder clothes, hair braiding for male students, and bum shorts, among other offences also attract one semester suspension.
The secretary general of the student union government, SUG, ATBU chapter AbdulRauf Al-Amin, who confirmed the authenticity of the memo, said the new rules are not alien to the students.
“We received the memo from the university last week, which I personally shared with the students across various platforms; most of the things contained are not new, it was only reviewed,” he said.
