UNN student union in crisis over move to suspend president

The student union government at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), is facing an internal crisis over a purported move to suspend its president and other members.

A report surfaced on Tuesday to the effect that Chinedu Ozoagu, UNN‘s student union president, had been suspended “for alleged involvement in cultism, threats to life, and gross misconduct.”

The report claimed seven other executives of the union were also handed an indefinite suspension.

It further purported that the sanction followed the decision of the union’s house of representatives after a petition by one Christian Okeke, who accused them of facilitating cultism and harbouring non-students within the university environment for monetary gains.

The report cited a statement by the speaker and clerk of the house, Ikechukwu Eze and Chidozie Onah, respectively, said to have indicted the officials.

A related allegation of financial impropriety was also made to the tune of over N100 million.

The suspended officials were named as including Ihentugo Rejoice, Emmanuel Asadu, and Agbo Sobechukwu Malachy.

Others also named are Chinweike Dorothy, Victory Chidiebere, Chukwuma JohnPaul, and Edmund Solomon.

TheCable contacted the accused SUG president, who dismissed the claims against him and the named officials as “invalid.”

“The only information I can give at the moment is that all those allegations are not valid. More information will be disseminated to the public at any moment from now,” he said.

“External influences are only trying to come into campus politics and use whoever they please to get to me.”

The dean of student affairs and the vice-chancellor typically have a supervisory role over the student union in Nigeria’s tertiary school campuses.

This is particularly concerning financial matters and adherence to due process in disciplinary actions.

The arrangement authorises the university to intervene in student affairs and ensures the union’s activities align with campus regulations.

Inya Agha Egwu, UNN spokesperson, told TheCable that no related report of misconduct had been made to the university management.

“I can tell you that any such suspension didn’t follow due process. The dean of student affairs has not been notified regarding any decision to suspend of SUG president. There are processes such suspension should follow, based on the SUG constitution,” he said.

“But the matter is still under investigation. So if there are tangible developments, I will let the press know.

“If there’s there is a pending case, there’s a procedure to probe it. If a person commits a crime in the university, the ideal thing is to write a report to the management through the dean. You don’t go straight to social media and allege that a crime was committed.”