ATBU bans kissing, sagging, tattoos, to rusticate students found wanting
Story from Saleh INUWA, Kano
Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi has announced that it will rusticate any student who breaches the university code of conduct and dress code as stated in the revised student handbook.
The updated rules were contained in an internal memo signed by the university’s dean of Students Affairs, Professor U.S. Abdullahi, dated April 27, and addressed to the Students Union Government (SUG) president and all students of the institution.
The dean warned students and members of the university community against violating the rules approved during the 161st regular Senate Meeting of the university, held on April 13, 2023.
The memo read: “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 following are extracts of the 30 most salient misconducts from the revised Handbook.”
According to the memo, with REF:ATBU/SAD/SUG/VOL 11/0113, posted on the university’s Facebook page, any student found guilty of a breach risks one or two semesters of rustication, depending on the offense.
The memo stated that unwelcome touching, kissing, hugging, massaging, or sitting on the laps of the opposite sex attracts two semesters of rustication.
Additionally, multi-colored hair for females, dreadlocks, sagging, reckless driving, tattoos, and extra piercings in the nose, eye, and mouth attract one semester suspension.
Other offenses include wearing tattered jeans, backless clothes, off-shoulder clothes, hair braiding for male students, and bum shorts, among other offenses. These offenses also attract one semester suspension.
The secretary-general of the student union government, SUG, ATBU chapter, Abdul-Rauf Al-Amin, confirmed the authenticity of the memo.
However, he said the new rules are not new 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.
