As Hon. Okey Mbah Sponsors Motion to End Reckless Driving and Alcohol Abuse During Final-Year Exam Signing-Out Celebrations
Students, residents, and other stakeholders in Enugu State’s education sector have expressed satisfaction with the recent motion passed by the Enugu State House of Assembly, which bans all forms of final-year signing-out celebrations in tertiary institutions within the state.
Hon. Anthony Okey Mbah, representing the Nkanu East constituency in the Enugu State House of Assembly, moved the motion on Tuesday, calling for a complete ban on final-year signing-out celebrations typically organized by graduating students upon completing their exams.
The motion was introduced in response to a recent incident at IMT, where a female student died due to reckless driving during the celebrations, and two other celebrants sustained life-threatening injuries. The motion was also motivated by the IMT management’s ban on all forms of signing-out celebrations on their campus, and also with the aim of getting the executive arm of the government to Mandate it’s relevant MDA’s to direct the ban to other higher institutions across the state, so they could follow suit.
The lawmaker clarified that the ban should not be mistaken for an outright prohibition of the usual graduating/convocation ceremonies organised by higher institutions for graduating students, which is always characterized with awards to various students especially the ones with excellent academic successes during their time in the institution. Instead, the ban specifically targets the reckless and harmful behaviors often associated with the signing out celebrations, which often lead to preventable accidents, sexual harassment, drug abuse, and other social issues that frequently go unreported.
He expressed concern that these celebrations seem unnecessary, as the students involved are yet to fulfill all academic requirements for their degrees, still having their project research work and awaiting final cumulative results that will determine their eligibility to graduate.
Addressing the issue on Tuesday evening during the “Onwe Nke Ama Ume Eme” radio show on Family Love 99.9 FM, stakeholders praised the lawmaker for raising this matter in the assembly. They acknowledged that these celebrations have generally caused more harm than good and noted that they are ultimately unnecessary.
Several callers on the radio program urged higher institutions to address this matter urgently, calling for an official ban to protect students and preserve institutional infrastructure.
Speaking on the program, the lawmaker’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Prince Mmadụabuchi Ogbu, expressed that he was not surprised by Hon. Mbah’s motion, as the lawmaker has long been committed to addressing issues of public concern, particularly those with a positive social impact.
He shared that the motion received strong support from other lawmakers, who recognized the need to protect students’ lives. Prince Ogbu also cited the tragic incident at IMT Enugu, as highlighted by the lawmaker, as an example of a mishap that could have been prevented had such a ban already been enforced. He also commended the management of IMT Enugu for being proactive in banning the celebration on campus.
Prince Ogbu urged both public and private tertiary institutions in the state to prioritize this issue by instituting an immediate ban on these activities. He also encouraged graduating students to celebrate modestly with loved ones at home rather than engaging in risky gatherings on campus.
