UNIZIK student’s expulsion: Was incident avoidable?

The recent expulsion of a 300-level student of History and International Studies department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UniZik), Miss Goddy-Mbakwe Precious, for assaulting a lecturer of the school has continued to generate controversies. PAUL OKAH asks if the expulsion was avoidable.

What manner of ignorance, poor upbringing, parental negligence, ill-manner and addiction to social media apps would lead to a student fighting a university lecturer, let alone a man old enough to be her father?

This is the question many Nigerians have been asking themselves since a video capturing a 300-level student of History and International Studies department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka (UniZik), Miss Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka Precious, assaulting a lecturer of Theatre and Film Studies in the same school, Dr. Michael Chukwudi Okoye, emerged on social media. 

Blueprint Weekend’s investigation revealed that in the short video, which started circulating on social media last week, the student, later identified as Miss Goddy-Mbakwe Chimamaka Precious, is seen dancing before a camera, while a man later identified as Dr. Michael Chukwudi Okoye, tapped her on the shoulder to excuse him as she was blocking the walkway, while recording a video for her followers on a popular social media app, TikTok.

However, in response to the “excuse me” request by Dr. Okoye, Precious was also captured in the same video insultingly rolling her eyes at him and asking rhetorically “who’s this thing?” as the lecturer made his way into the lecture hall.

Another viral video captured Precious assaulting the lecturer by tearing his clothes, dragging him by the hand and even biting him on the shoulder as he held on to her, with the lecturer explaining later that he came out from the lecture hall after her insulting “who’s this thing?” remark to inquire if she was his student and demanding she delete the video that captured his image.

Consequently, following public outcry and condemnation, the school set up a committee to investigate the incident, inviting both the lecturer and student for fair hearing purposes and subsequently expelled the student on Friday, February 14, as she was found guilty of violating the university’s Students Disciplinary Regulations, specifically Regulation 4, which deals with gross misconduct.

‘TikTok, social media addiction causing moral deviancy’

A veteran journalist and media consultant, Mr. Larry Oyim, said UniZik acted in the best interest of students and the general public “by expelling an irresponsible student that is blinded by pecuniary motives,” saying she was wrongly influenced by TikTok and social media, but that the law was applied blindly and impartially by the school.

He said, “I am underwhelmed when I read or see people blaming UNIZIK for the action it took to expel the Tik Toker, Miss Precious Mbakwe, a 300 level History student, who publicly tore, bite and fought Dr Okoye, a lecturer in the Department of Theatre and Film Studies for flimsy reasons. Such comments usually border on sentiments and the lack of proper understanding of University regulations. Human relationships are guided by laws. There is a law in every university that regulates the conduct of students on campus. And, in the case of UniZik, the law says that the penalty for fighting a lecturer on campus is expulsion.

“Every new student in the university, upon admission, is usually given a handbook that spells out the dos and don’ts while in school. The Committee that was set up by the management of the institution looked into the case, guided by the extant law in the campus and passed its judgment. The two were interrogated and she was found guilty upon her confession. The committee knows that although law is an ass, it is blind and refuses to apply it selectively. While I agree completely that the punishment was harsh, taking into account the fact that she had almost completed her studies, I do not support bending the rules that have been set already to favour anybody, more so an irresponsible student that is blinded by pecuniary motives, for obvious reasons.

“It is such behaviour that has made our judiciary the scum and butt of society. The glaring implication of doing so is to expose lecturers, who are already burdened by constant harassment by students from all fronts, to more danger and scum. The expulsion of Precious was therefore to serve as a deterrent to other Margaret Thatchers and Mike Tysons on campus who would have taken that ill-fated path. However, the unruly behaviour of Precious is one of the negative influences of social media that we have to contend with. Social media is empowering our children beyond their dreams and one of the aftereffects is indecent dressing and the lack of respect for parents, seniors and constituted authority.

“Last week, I watched the televised interview of a 19-year-old carpenter-turned social media influencer, Mr Peller, who said that he makes an average of N20m weekly, talking nonsense on TikTok. If Peller were to be a student in any Nigerian university, which lecturer can dare challenge him, when his one week earning from TikTok can pay the salary of over 20 lecturers in a month? I have no doubt that what gave Precious the audacity to challenge and fight a lecturer is because of this. Now that she has been expelled, she has ample time to TikTok. But I have no tears for her, our campuses must be made safe and conducive for learning.”

Similarly, a scholar, Mrs. Anthonia Ndukwe, said there was no error on the part of the lecturer demanding for the video that captured his image to be deleted by the student, saying Precious’ addiction to TikTok and social media was her undoing.

She said, “There is no moral, legal and constitutional justification for the behaviour exhibited by the ‘uncultured’ girl. Social media validation these days makes us look like we didn’t even pass through the four walls of the classroom. No university in the world can condone the behaviour of that girl. While in the university, I never heard or experienced that kind of behaviour in any of my course mates. No matter how angry we are, we dared not look our lecturers in the face, not to talk of assaulting them. I support the decision of the school. It will serve as a detriment to others who have no morals from home before getting admitted into institutions of learning. She can start again; she would have learnt her lesson now, all in the name of TikTok.

“The lecturer was right in enforcing the deletion of the video. He didn’t need the security to do that. If she was normal, even a fellow student can even request her to delete the video if he feels captured without his consent. Lecturers are also authorities. Lecturers are revered and can instill discipline. Also, in this age of AI brouhaha, the lecturer wouldn’t have ignored a video he was captured in with a rude remark. Do you know that it could be edited to claim he grabbed her buttocks and the story will be different? No student is above the lecturers’ discipline, except he/he doesn’t want to remain in such an institution.

“Going back to enforce the deletion of the video is correct. Note that he didn’t know the student as she’s not from his department. She wanted to run away, that’s why he held her. In her bid to escape, she bit and beat him up. There is nothing against that lecturer; he was in his rights and obligations. Her family should forgive her and guide her to forgive herself too, because it’s not a mean thing to lose such academic efforts because of TikTok and social media addiction.”

On his part, a civil servant, Solomonikhe Igbaugba, said there is no justification for a student to assault a lecturer, adding that TikTok is doing more harm than good to students, especially by encouraging disrespect for elders in a nation that prioritises discipline.

 “Rating her attitude, overall, I suggest her reaction to the gentle tap of the lecturer was poor and unjustifiable at all, to the extent of biting the lecturer or disrespecting him. She could have done better given the environment she was at the time. Assuming she felt the touch was unwarranted, caution should have been her watch word.  I guess she acted rudely because she felt she had a cover up, having her mother at the back of her mind,” he said.

‘School right in decision’

Speaking with Blueprint Weekend, a businessman, Ayomide Akintobi, said UniZik would have endangered both students and lecturers if it did not expel Precious, saying she is a danger to society and not worthy of being awarded a certificate by the institution.

He said, “I don’t think the lecturer committed any offence by tapping the lady to excuse him. A major element of assault is intent. What was his intent? First, to pass through the way which the lady was occupying because of her video; second, to demand that the video showing his face should be deleted since it was taken without his consent. But what was the lady’s intent when she sank her teeth into the man’s skin?

“Moreover, the school was absolutely right to expel her. Apart from the fact that she may harm her colleagues during an altercation, she obviously lacks a major element considered for awarding degrees: character precedes learning in the university. On that note, it would be a breach of its foundational principle not to take such a decision. At the University of Ibadan where I graduated from, any student caught fighting their colleague will be out rightly expelled. That’s a standing rule. Now, this man is not even a student, but a lecturer!”