ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Undergraduates of the Bayelsa State-owned Niger Delta University, Ammasoma, on Tuesday went on the rampage over the decision of the institution’s management to introduce uniforms for them.
Some students, who protested against the decision, accused the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Samuel Edoumiekumo, of degrading the status of the university by directing that the students sew uniforms to differentiate faculties.
A student from the Engineering Department, who preferred to be anonymous, claimed that the Institution directed all students to start putting on uniforms, a development that did not bode well with them.
The student also claimed that they were directed not to bring in any uniform from outside except the one the school would issue to them.
The source alleged that the price of the uniform for students of the Department of Engineering was N30,000 per uniform while others were to pay N20,000.
An alumnus of the NDU, Bodmas P. Kemepadei, faulted the claim of the aggrieved students, insisting that a private investigation showed that their claims were false.
Kemepadei said: “I have investigated and confirmed the news to be false and misconstrued by the public. The VC only appealed to students in the Faculty of Engineering during a meeting to always gear up, especially during field trips and practical classes.
“This is also contained in the Students Handbook. The action is aimed at curbing insecurity and to restore orderliness in the Engineering Faculty and by extension the entire school.
“The VC further appealed that those in professional courses such as Agriculture, Medicine, Law should also endeavour to follow suit. Other faculties like Social Sciences, Arts are not included.”
It was gathered that Governor Douye Diri had intervened and subsequently summoned the VC and deans over the development.
The Public Relations Officer of the Institution, Ingezi Idoni, confirmed the development, but said the decision for a new dress code was taken by the VC with the approval of the Senate.
Idoni said the decision was taken in line with existing dress code patterns adopted by the Law and Health Sciences faculties.
He said: “The decision was to extend the dress code to other faculties. In recent times, we have witnessed shabby dressing from some students and a situation where some unidentified gunmen suspected to be cultists walked into the school and shot a student dead.
“The dress code will curb insecurity and promote decent dressing among students.”