Obafemi Awolowo University Bans Hugging, Tattoos, Sitting on Lap, Others on Campus 

The Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has started a campaign to combat immorality and indecent attire on campus by outlawing public hugs and kisses between people of different sexes, any skimpy dresses, the use of coloured hair, tattoos, and other practises.

Additionally, it forbade opposite-sex students from sitting on each other’s laps and urged them not to wear any clothing or accessories that obscured their faces.

Sexually suggestive clothing will no longer be permitted in the school, according to the administration.

These were included in the new student handbook’s set of behaviour and dress standards, which also included prohibitions on backless clothing, transparent clothing, off-the-shoulder clothing, bum shorts, torn jeans, dreadlocks, earrings for men and cowries for women, and micro/mini dresses.

The university also forbade sagging trousers or knickers for both genders, hair braiding for men, nose, mouth, eye, or extra rings, crop tops or jump caps, tattoos or other permanent markings on men, multicoloured braids on women, haircuts with inscriptions, and T-shirts with offensive slogans that advocate immoral behaviour or hooliganism, among other things.

It swore that male students’ hair plaiting or weaving, thick makeup, and unkempt or dirty clothing would no longer be tolerated on campus.

In addition, any student discovered with coloured hairstyles, hair braiding for men, or spangled hairstyles for men will be rusticated from the school for two semesters, according to the school. Violators of any of the dress standards will also be expelled for one semester.

For two semesters, it was stated that students who were seen massaging or sitting on the lap of someone of the other sex would also receive a rustication.

The school management, however, urged male students to note that their hair should be neat and well-combed at all times and that the hair should not be coloured (except if it is a natural colour).