Katsina University Bans Christian Fellowship on Campus

The authorities of the Umar Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Katsina State, have outlawed any other religious or tribal association on campus besides the Muslim Students Society of Nigeria. The institution’s acting Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Sulaiman Kankara, conveyed the new directive to all students’ clubs and associations that were operating on campus via an internal memorandum dated January 17, 2017.

A copy of the memo, obtained by one of our correspondents, was captioned, “Re: Registration of Students Clubs/Associations.” Sulaiman said the new directive was part of the resolutions of the institution’s management at its 59th meeting, which held on January 10, 2017.

The memo read in part, “The Muslim Students Society of Nigeria is the only religious association allowed to operate in the university.

“All tribal and local government associations are prohibited by the university.

“Duly registered departmental associations should be allowed to operate, but they should observe item (I) above.”

However, sources within the university told The PUNCH that the new directive is unlikely to elicit any reaction from the students when the institution resumes new academic session on January 30, 2017.

“The university has never hidden its posture to be an Islamic institution, despite the fact that it is a public institution,” one of the sources said.