Eric Edem Agbana is the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Ketu North, Eric Edem Agbana, has expressed opposition to the recent directive by the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), which bans students from wearing nose rings, anklets, and other forms of personal expression on campus.

In a social media post on July 2, 2025, the lawmaker emphasised the need for discipline and adherence to codes of conduct within educational institutions, but described the new policy as an "overreach."

According to him, while it is important to maintain a minimal and generally accepted standard of dressing, restricting personal adornments such as nose rings is excessive and infringes on students' rights to self-expression.

“We can certainly maintain a minimal and generally accepted standard of dressing, but prohibiting items like nose rings is excessive,” Agbana stated.

He further warned that allowing such policies to take root could open the door to even more restrictive measures in the future.

“If we do not nip such directives in the bud, an institution may wake up tomorrow and declare that students with tattoos, or anything similar, are not welcome,” he cautioned.

Drawing on his experience as a former student leader, Agbana said he would not have accepted such a measure in the past and refuses to accept it now as a sitting Member of Parliament and a member of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education.

Read his full post below:

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