The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has suspended one of its lecturers, Joseph Akpan, over alleged misconduct.
The institution’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Florence Obi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Calabar.
According to her, the suspended lecturer allegedly altered 235 examination result scripts.
Obi stated that Akpan allegedly altered students’ scores in the Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311) course results.
She claimed that as HOD, Akpan altered the scores in 235 result scripts out of the 242 result scripts entrusted in his care.
“The lecturer also (allegedly) gave out marks to two students, who did not participate in the examinations,” she said, adding that only five scripts were genuinely marked without alteration.
The V-C alleged that Akpan admitted the misconduct before the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee, (SEMC).
According to her, the lecturer allegedly admitted that he inflated the scores of students in PHM 311 in order to protect the image of the department, which management finds ridiculous and unacceptable.
“Consequently, the management of the University has directed that he should be relieved of his appointment as HOD and Coordinator of PHM 311, as well as suspended from duty with effect from Oct. 8, 2024.
“Akpan’s official responsibilities are to be reassigned to other qualified lecturers in the department.
“He has also been directed to stay away from the university forthwith unless while responding to the invitation of relevant committees,” she said
In August, the school suspended a student for alleged s3xual assault.
According to the statement signed by the University Registrar, Mr. Gabriel. O. Egbe, the suspension of the student of the Department of Physiotherapy was necessitated by his alleged s3xual molestation of a fellow student during a departmental dinner night at Atekong Drive in Calabar.
The letter states that Okoi’s action is a complete negation of the current administration’s commitment to character moulding undergraduates and is a cause for great concern.
Such behaviour, the letter emphasizes, is alien to the academic community and contradicts the culture of the institution.
