The Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Prof. Olaiya Balogun, has mandated security personnel of the Student Affairs Unit of the institution to ‘arrest’ any student, who dresses indecently.

The offending students will not just be arrested, they will be made to face tough sanctions to deter them from such vices.

Addressing the 3, 137 fresh students of the university during their matriculation ceremony in the school in Abeokuta on Thursday, Balogun said the directive applied to any form of indecent dressing in the halls of residence in the university.

The vice-chancellor said, “Once you have been weighed on the balance of character and you are found wanting, there is no chance for you to graduate, no convocation. Apart from the two units which have been empowered to accost and apprehend either male or female students, who dress indecently, this is where the students’ union government should flex some of its muscles.

“We nurture future leaders here; and on that note, what you cannot wear in the presence of your parents, you will not be allowed to put them on here. Let me also tell you that the days of academic pretenders are numbered.”

The VC disclosed that apart from passing the University Matriculation Examination and the post-UTME test, the university had constituted a screening committee, consisting of psychologists, criminologists and security agencies to sift the students before their admission.

He said, “Having been tested and proven reliable, I wish to state categorically, that the screening exercise has come to stay in UNAAB and therefore, the university will not rely only on JAMB and post-UTME qualification for admissions.

“UNAAB has designed the screening exercise to become part of our admission process, so that we can identify and stop negative and unwholesome characters from corrupting the future leaders being nurtured in UNAAB.”

Balogun said less than 20 per cent of the 11,735 candidates, who chose UNAAB as their first and second choices in their application, were offered admission, but reminded the fresh students that only students with sound character would graduate from the university.

He promised that the school would continually improve its facilities, calling on the matriculating students to call him on his mobile telephone when there was an urgent matter requiring the attention of the management.