The Member of Parliament for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has strongly criticised the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), for banning students from wearing nose rings, anklets, unkempt hair, bathroom slippers, shorts, and other accessories on campus.
The university’s directive, issued on June 30, 2025, and enforced from July 1, 2025, warned that students who failed to comply with the dress code would not be allowed to enter lecture halls. UPSA defended the policy as part of efforts to promote “scholarship with professionalism.”
However, on July 2, 2025, Edem Agbana publicly condemned the directive, describing it as an overreach. He argued that such strict rules limit students’ freedom of expression in a tertiary institution.
“I support discipline, but banning nose rings, anklets, and similar forms of personal expression at this level is unacceptable. UPSA must reconsider this decision,” he said.
Agbana warned that if such measures go unchallenged, they could lead to further restrictions on students’ appearance in the future.
The directive has sparked public debate, with many Ghanaians, particularly students, calling on UPSA to review the policy and find a balance between discipline and personal freedom.
