14 academic and non-academic staff members, as well as other categories of employees, including students, have been placed on administrative leave/suspension by the Nnamdi Azikiwe University in Awka, Anambra State, for a variety of infractions.
A total of five lecturers were accused of a number of charges, including extorting money from students who passed their courses.
The use of a student to demand money from other students by one lecturer led to his or her dismissal.
He was said to have “brazenly” listed the names of pupils who had passed his courses as having failed with the intention of extorting money from them.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Charles Esimone revealed this on Sunday, in a press release issued by Dr. Emmanuel Ojukwu, the Special Adviser on Public Relations and Special Duties to the Vice Chancellor.
Ojukwu stated that this was in response to a panel recommendation that the implicated officials and students be expelled and suspended.
According to the statement:
“The Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, has taken disciplinary action against the following staff and students for various offences.
“Principal Executive Officer II abandoned his duty post for a considerable length of time. As a result, he was indicted for gross misconduct and suspended from duty for six months to serve as a deterrent to other officers.
“The senior executive officer was indicted for fraudulent financial transactions concerning the university. She was suspended for six months and placed on half her salary.
“The Examination Officer in the Department of History and International Relations was indicted for clearing and graduating a student who had 12 outstanding courses. He admitted that he committed the offence and was therefore found guilty of falsification of results and grades in favour of the said student and was dismissed from the services of the university following the appropriate procedure.
“Two lecturers in the Faculty of Education were indicted for ‘sorting,’ obtaining money from students in exchange for unmerited scores. They are suspended from duty following the appropriate procedure.
“The students who were used for the collection of money were suspended for one academic year, while one student was expelled from the university on the account of financial fraud, swindling fellow students, exploitation, and a deliberate refusal to cooperate with the investigation.
“Another lecturer was indicted for ‘sorting’ for grades and using a student to collect money from students. The lecturer brazenly listed the names of students who passed his courses as having failed, with the sole purpose of extorting them. The panel recommended him for dismissal as he was described as ‘unfit’ for the university.”
cc: Punch Ng
