A House of Representatives member, Bamidele Salam, has urged Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) to reconsider its decision to expel a student, Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka Precious, who was involved in an assault case. The lawmaker, who represents Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun State, described the punishment as too harsh.
The student was expelled for assaulting a lecturer from the Department of Theatre and Film Studies. However, Rep. Salam shared his own experience as a student leader in 1992, when he and four others were expelled from their university for “gross misconduct and insubordination to constituted authority.” He noted that such terms were often used during the military regime to suppress student activism and civil rights advocacy.
Rep. Salam argued that while the student deserves punishment, expulsion should not be the final decision. He described the student as a “silly girl” and presumed first-time offender, pleading for her punishment to be reduced if she shows remorse and a willingness to change. He also argued that expulsion could ruin her life and future opportunities, urging the university to avoid throwing her “into the wilderness of life”.