The Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt, Isaac Zeb-Opibi, has declared that the institution will not close its satellite campuses because of the activities of some criminal elements in communities where students live.

Zeb-Opibi bemoaned the recent robbery attacks on students at the Emuoha campus, on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.

Some students had protested last week over what they described as incessant attacks by miscreants and harassment by locals, saying they were no longer safe and calling on the school management to relocate them to the main campus.

They alleged that scores of students have lost valuables and personal belongings to intruders.

At the university’s 37th and 38th combined convocation news briefing in Port Harcourt on Monday, Zeb-Opibi said those behind the attacks were trying to give the community a bad name.

However, he faulted the students’ call to relocate, saying the satellite campuses in Emuoha, Etche, Ahoada, and Sakpenwa, all in the state, were established with good intentions by the Rivers State Government.

He stated, “When this attack happened, the Governing Council and the university management met with the traditional ruler of the community.

“He made some promises. But after that, there was another attack on our students. So we have planned a town hall meeting with the king, chiefs, security agencies and others to see how the problem can be addressed.

“So they are also expected to attend that meeting. We are sure that with this commitment from the community, from the governing council of the university and management, the situation will be addressed, and our students and staff will be comfortable staying there.

“Therefore we are not in a hurry to relocate our students from Emuoha to this campus because those campuses were created with the consent of the state government. So this university indeed cannot shut down those campuses without the permission from the state government.”

He said while the host communities of Ahoada and Etche have been very supportive, “Some elements in Emohua seek to bring an otherwise appreciative community to disrepute by constantly attacking, harassing, and robbing our students,” and expressed optimism that the town hall meeting would yield positive results.

On the forthcoming convocation, he said the institution will graduate a total of 13,242 students, saying it coincides with the 55th anniversary of the university.

Zeb-Opibi stated, “It has two sets of students, the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 sets; hence, it is a combined convocation. We are graduating a total of 13,242 students at this convocation ceremony.”

He explained that 10,628 students will receive first degrees, while 2,594 will receive graduate degrees at the combined convocation.

Zeb-Opibi said the university was unable to give accurate statistics of the graduating students because some are still sorting out course registration issues.

“We are hopeful that on the day of the convocation the statistics as to how many are first class, how many are second class upper, second class lower and others will be made available,” he concluded. (The PUNCH)