The management of Bayero University, Kano (BUK) has banned the charging of privately owned electric motorcycles and other electric vehicles on all its campuses, citing the rising cost of electricity.
The university announced the directive in a statement issued on Tuesday by its spokesperson, Lamara Garba, who said the growing practice of charging electric vehicles with the institution’s power supply has placed a significant financial burden on the university. The statement read: “The management has observed with concern the indiscriminate charging of privately owned electric motorcycles and other electric vehicles using the University’s electricity supply across its campuses.
“This practice has contributed significantly to the sharp increase in the University’s electricity bills, thereby placing an enormous financial burden on the institution. At a time when the University is committed to the prudent management of its resources, the continued use of University electricity for charging private electric motorcycles is no longer sustainable,” Garba said.
The university said the ban takes immediate effect. The university said: “Consequently, Management has banned, with immediate effect, the charging of electric motorcycles and other privately owned electric vehicles on all University campuses and premises.”
The management directed staff, students, commercial motorcycle operators and other users of electric vehicles to stop using the university’s electricity supply for charging, warning that the directive would be strictly enforced. It added: “Management expects full compliance with this directive. Any person found violating this ban will be liable to appropriate disciplinary action in accordance with the University’s rules and regulations.”
To ensure compliance, the university directed provosts, deans, directors, heads of departments and heads of units to monitor their respective areas and report violations. It also announced that a university monitoring team would conduct regular patrols across campuses.
The institution urged members of the university community and visitors to cooperate with the directive, saying it is necessary to reduce energy costs and ensure the prudent use of university resources.