There has been a recent reawakening of arguments over the the issue of Aro in Nnamdi Azikwe Hall. Some have claimed it's a means of catching fun, creating a humourous atmosphere, and satire. Some, on the other hand, have argued that it's a way of sexualizing females, promoting misogny, and mocking students who pass by the hall. But what is Aro?
According to the Zik Hall Aroism Policy: A Regulation to Prevent the Occurrence of Sexual Harrasment Incidents in Hall, Aro is the "practice of general jesting and satirical/humourous social commentary as practiced across the halls of residence in the University of Ibadan. It also adds that "it's a tool for lightning the atmospheric mood."
As sound as this definition may be, reality doesn't reflect it. There have been cases of Zikites sexualizing female students who pass through the hall. This is brazen sexual harassment. Though some have argued that the females love it. But findings have revealed that some of these female students detest it. Worthy of note is an article published in the Nigerian Sociology and Anthropology Students' Association (NSASA) Press on October 20, 2023.
Titled, "Aro: Baluba and Katanga's Curse," the article beamed light on the writer's experiences with the monstrous act. The writer wrote, "I had plugged in my earpiece to drown out the dirty jargon hurled by jobless boys in the name of Aro. The time or energy to engage, none I had.
Ears tingling, I removed my earpiece, hoping that I had heard wrong. Someone had screamed, “Oyan re e”. A lump formed in my throat as I turned back to the perverted boys. I took a picture and walked away, several thoughts crossing my mind..."
This is one of the many cases in which the females have shown their abhorrence. So the claim of female students' romance with Aro is a false and lame excuse for an irresponsible attitude. In another article published on October 25, 2023, in NSASA Press, titled, "ARO PART 2 : WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE BULLIED IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY!!!," The writer wrote, Having explained the backstory, there have been rumours of ‘’suing” NSASA Press Organization, summoning the SU President and coercive and insulting murmurs. Hopefully, they are headless rumours, and not active efforts to frustrate the good efforts of the watchdog of the Campus society." She ended the article with, "We should not have to be bullied in our own community..."
Another experience of Aro, worthy of attention, is that chronicled in the National Association of Students of English and Literary Studies (NASELS) Press. The writer wrote of how she and her colleagues were body - shamed. The shameless perpetrators passed asinine remarks on their body parts. Here are her words:
"Recently, I found myself passing in front of the great Independence Hall known as Indy and suddenly I saw a set of boys with no shirt on and some with ragged trousers standing aimlessly on the railings of their hostel trying to get the attention of girls that happen to walk pass their hostel. They did this by shouting, yelling, and dishing out wired eds to each of the girls based on their body shape, posture, or dress mode. Their attitude had a semblance to that of mad people we occasionally see on the road and I wonder whether that could ever be cured.
" As I approached their hostel, I wasn’t surprised when I also fell victim to the harassment and body shaming because this wasn’t the first time I would experience such. But this time, it looked more or less like a premeditated oral war against me. To cut a long story short, I was embarrassed and ashamed and this experience made me wonder whether the university is raising animals kept in a refined cage, having a semblance of the living, or whether the school is raising real human beings."
This experience x - rays the lowly thinking of students' leaders on the policy of bullying and sexual harrasment as they have been slack in their tackling the problem. It further reveals the revile female students have for the policy.
Asides the issues of sexualization of females. Worthy of attention is the mockery of students which is masqueraded in the Aroism Policy as "lightning the atmospheric mood." Mocking students is the "atmospheric mood" being lightened? This is just another lame excuse for bullying and irresponsible acts.
From what has been written so far, it's obvious that the policy, blanketed in "tradition," is a culture of toxicity that glorifies the sexualization of women and hails the verbal bullying of students. Condoning and accommodating such a crack - brained policy creates an atmosphere that denies female students their rights to self - respect and hostile space for male and female students.
We must recognize that such behavior is irresponsible, not harmless fun. Neither is it "a tool for lightning the atmospheric mood." Our campus should be a space where students can learn and grow without fear of harassment.
What then should be done since this act is having an adverse effect on students? The policy should be banned. We call on the university administration, students' leaders to tackle this debacle. The purported policy of bullying and harassment must be abolished.
Let's build a campus community that fosters respect and honour for male and female students.
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