The management of Rivers State University (RSU) has ordered the immediate relocation of students from its three satellite campuses in Ahoada, Emohua and Etche to the main campus in Port Harcourt.
In a memo issued on Friday, the Registrar, Mrs. I. B. S. Harry, stated that the affected students are those in the Faculties of Agriculture, Social Sciences and Humanities. She explained that the relocation is a temporary measure to allow the university undertake infrastructural upgrades at the satellite campuses.
However, sources within the institution said the decision was also prompted by persistent appeals from parents, students and staff over security concerns, inadequate accommodation and the high cost of commuting to the satellite campuses.
The campuses were created three years ago by the administration of former Governor Nyesom Wike, following the expansion of RSU from a technology-based institution to a full-fledged conventional university. This restructuring led to the establishment of new faculties and the admission of students into Agriculture, Humanities and Social Sciences.
But since their creation, many of the key facilities on the satellite campuses have remained incomplete or unavailable, forcing students and staff to make do with limited space.
Additionally, the absence of residential quarters for staff and hostels for students heightened fears over security, especially given the isolated locations of the campuses, and increased transportation costs for daily commuting.
With no clear commitment in the state budget for completing the main infrastructure at the satellite campuses, the university management opted for what it described as a difficult but necessary decision to relocate the students to the main campus to ensure effective teaching, learning and supervision.
