Akwa Ibom governor orders reinstatement of student expelled for ‘insulting’ him

Udom Emmanuel, governor of Akwa Ibom, has directed the immediate reinstatement of Iniobong Ekpo, a final-year student of Akwa Ibom State University, Ikot Akpaden, expelled by management for allegedly insulting him.

Ekpo was in his final year at the varsity’s agricultural engineering department when he was expelled for his 2019 Facebook post about Udom which the university described as a “derogatory and defamatory article”.

He was first suspended indefinitely in September 2020 before his expulsion via a letter dated April 9, 2021.

The development had sparked criticism, with the state government later constituting a panel to review the matter.

According to NAN, the governor’s directive was contained in a statement issued by Ini Ememobong, the commissioner for information and strategy, at the end of the state executive council meeting in Uyo.

“The Executive council reviewed the AKSU expulsion case of Ekpo and directed the university to immediately recall the said student,” he said.

Ememobong also said that the council has pegged the maximum age for admission into secondary schools across the state at 12 years to curb the cultism surge in secondary schools.

“Investigation has revealed that the surge is caused mainly by over aged students who are on a mission of mass recruitment of students into cult groups,” he added.

“However, any student above this age with a genuine reason will have their parents sign an undertaking of good behaviour, before their admission.”