The University of Calabar (UniCal) has taken decisive action by suspending one of its lecturers, Joseph Akpan, due to allegations of altering 235 examination result scripts. This decision underscores the university's commitment to maintaining high standards of integrity and accountability among its staff.
The suspension was announced by the institution's Vice Chancellor (V-C), Prof. Florence Obi, during a press briefing held on Wednesday in Calabar. She emphasized the seriousness of the situation and the need for appropriate measures to address any misconduct within the university.
According to Prof. Obi, the suspended lecturer exploited his position as Head of Department (HOD) of Pharmacology to manipulate examination results for students. She revealed that Akpan allegedly altered the scores specifically in the Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311) course, affecting a significant portion of the results entrusted to him.
The V-C detailed that out of 242 result scripts in his care, Akpan altered scores for 235, leaving only five scripts genuinely marked without any alterations. Furthermore, she claimed that the lecturer provided marks to two students who did not actually participate in the examinations, raising further concerns about the integrity of the grading process.
In a startling admission, the V-C stated that Akpan confessed to his misconduct before the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee (SEMC). He reportedly justified his actions by claiming that he inflated students' scores in PHM 311 to protect the department's reputation, a reasoning that the university management finds both ridiculous and unacceptable.
As a result of these findings, the management of UniCal has decided to relieve Akpan of his duties as HOD and Coordinator of PHM 311, and he has been officially suspended from his academic responsibilities effective from October 8, 2024. Prof. Obi stated that Akpan’s official responsibilities will be reassigned to other qualified lecturers within the department to ensure continuity in the academic program.
Additionally, he has been instructed to refrain from visiting the university premises unless he is responding to invitations from relevant committees regarding this matter. This suspension aims to serve as a reminder of the university's zero-tolerance policy towards academic dishonesty and to uphold the integrity of its examination processes.