LAGOS JUNE 29TH (NEWSRANGERS)-Human Right Lawyer, Chief (Barr.) Malcolm Omirhobo has faulted the Management of Delta State Maritime Polytechnic, Burutu, Delta State for restricting members of staff of the institution from opening WhatsApp group platforms among themselves.
Recall that the Management of the institution in memo titled, “The Proliferation and Abuse of WhatsApp Platforms In The Institution and The Need To Streamline/Harmonised The Various Groups” dated June 11th, 2025, signed by the Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Mr. Ufuoma Oghovojah at its 43rd regular meeting of the Institution directed members of staff from not opening WhatsApp Group Platform among themselves.
The management reason for the restriction was that there has been an increase of proliferation of WhatsApp platforms in the school, adding that they were created using name of the Institution without due approval by Management.
The memo noted that some of these platforms are being used as political tool to settle personal scores and in some instances, abusing as well as instigating other staff to disobey constituted authorities. It further explained that members of staff have lost consciousness of the fact that they are in an official setting and as such, things should be done properly and orderly including use of official platforms.
Following the above observation, the Council directed that DESMAPOLY Staff Assembly as the only approved Central WhatsApp platform for all staff, stressing that in addition to the Central WhatsApp platform, schools, departments, directorates, units, cooperative societies, unions and cultural groups are equally directed to open their official platforms to disseminate information.
Reacting to the School management directive, Omirhobo who said he read the directive on the pages of newspapers and online publications said the institution does not have the powers to restrict her staff from opening WhatsApp platform among themselves .
According to the human right lawyer, “restricting staff to only DESMAPOLY Social network and Disbanding other existing platforms is a violation of the staff’s fundamental right to freedom of expression as guaranteed and protected by virtue of section 39 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (As Amended ) and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and people’s rights. (ratification and enforcement Act , cap A9, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria , 2024 and therefore illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional.”
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