At a time when gaining admission to institutions of higher learning has become more difficult than catching an eel, no fewer than 15 students of Delta State University, Abraka have been expelled from the school, while 31 others have been rusticated over alleged cases of examination malpractice.
Similarly, the university has withdrawn the approved senate result of two former students who studied at the Agbor affiliate centre of the university, just as 24 others were placed on indefinite suspension.
This was contained in the summary report of the university’s examination malpractice mobile disciplinary committee which was published on the university’s website during the week. The report added that nine other students, earlier arraigned before the committee, were discharged but strongly warned to be more careful during examinations.
According to the report, some of the students were expelled for offences such as impersonation and illegal possession and use of the university’s answer booklets in examination halls; while a larger chunk of them were rusticated for six academic semesters over offences such as cheating, aiding and abetting malpractice, taking extraneous materials into examination halls and similar charges.
Further, the report revealed that the suspension penalty was handed over to the 24 students over their their failure to appear before the committee that held its meetings between July 8 and 29 this year. The suspended students have been required to appear before the committee on the 30th of this month.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has faulted the management of DELSU and the university’s examination malpractice mobile disciplinary committee, accusing the duo of insincerity when handling alleged cases of students’ indiscipline and misconduct.
In a telephone chat with our Correspondent, the South-South and South-East Zonal Coordinator of the union, Comrade Pedro Obi, argued that there were evidences for NANS to believe that some of the affected students were unjustly penalized.
Comrade Pedro Chibuzo-Ogume Obi, NANS (Zone B) Coordinator
While noting that the union does not encourage indiscipline in any of its manifestation, Obi revealed that the union has set up an independent committee to reconsider the university’s disciplinary action.
He's said : “From experience, many institutions have, during students’ union elections, hidden under security excuses to screen out students who they think are threat to them; that is why we (NANS) always receive the information of expulsion or rustication (of students) in the name of examination malpractice with mixed feelings because of the insincerity of management.
“Basically on the issue of Delta State University, we have set up an independent committee to unravel the rationale behind the rustication and expulsion. In NANS, we always encourage our students to be good ambassadors.
"We are not encouraging examination malpractice neither are we encouraging any nefarious attitude, but what is good is good and what is right is right …nobody should be victimized for any unjust reason ”.
Contacted, the Students Union President of DELSU, Comrade Kalusi Otighoarievwe acknowledged the report but noted that he was yet to receive complaints from students. The President, however, disclosed that dissatisfied affected students could write to the university's authority for a reappearance before the committee.
Recent development in the university shows that the renewed efforts by authorities of the institution to wholly eradicate acts of indiscipline and gross misconducts among its staff and students may be yielding much fruit.
Recall that the disciplinary committee of the university had, earlier in last month, recommended the dismissal of five of its lecturers over alleged offences, including sexual harassment of female students and financial extortion for marks.
Since the emergence of the university’s current Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victor Peretomode, who had on different occasions warned that his administration takes serious exceptions to all forms of academic dishonesty, no fewer than 100 students have been expelled from the university, while over 300 others have been rusticated.
No comments:
Post a Comment