The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, Prof. Isaac Zeb-Opibi, says the institution will not shut down its satellite campuses despite recent security concerns in host communities.
Prof. Zeb-Opibi, who spoke during a news briefing ahead of the university’s 37th and 38th combined convocation on Monday, lamented the recent robbery incidents targeting students at the Emuoha campus.
Last week, some students took to the streets to protest what they described as frequent attacks by criminals and harassment by some locals. They claimed that many students had lost valuables to intruders and demanded relocation to the main campus for their safety.
But the Vice Chancellor dismissed the call, insisting that the satellite campuses in Emuoha, Etche, Ahoada, and Sakpenwa were established by the Rivers State Government for strategic reasons and would not be shut down because of “the actions of a few criminal elements.”
He added that the perpetrators were attempting to tarnish the image of the host community, and announced that the university will convene a stakeholders’ meeting with all affected communities to address the security concerns.
