By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja
THE Senate of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, has expelled six 100-level students for gross examination misconduct after they were found to have rewritten an examination at a lecturer’s private residence.
According to a statement from the institution signed by its Public Relations Officer, Mrs Uredo Omale, the decision was taken at the university’s 167th Regular Senate Meeting held on at the University Auditorium in Anyigba.
The statement said that the students, all from the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, were sanctioned following an investigation into an incident in which they allegedly paid N10,000 each to rewrite BOT102 (Introduction to Plant Science) days after the examination had been conducted.
It said that the matter came to light on July 1, following credible information received by the University Management that a lecturer was coordinating students to rewrite the examination at his residence.
The PRO said that the University security operatives subsequently arrested Dr Maji Okpanachi of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology and some students at his residence behind the Police Area Command Office on Idah Road, Anyigba and recovered exhibits connected with the incident.
Omale noted that the university’s Examination Misconduct Committee later investigated the matter and, according to its report considered by Senate, corroborated the security report through confessional statements from the lecturer and affected students, as well as other available records.
Consequently, she said, Senate approved the expulsion of Itodo Ojonugwa Jeremiah, Ollo Kizito Ojoajogwu, Okpanachi Favour, Abdulkadiri Senusi, Umar Imran and Lawrence Salami for gross examination misconduct.
Senate also referred Dr Okpanachi to the Senior Staff Disciplinary Committee for appropriate disciplinary action in line with the university’s rules and regulations, while the case involving Jude Ojoajogwu Itodo was returned to the Committee for further investigation.
In a related decision, Omale said, the Senate also approved the withdrawal of nine students over poor academic performance and failure to meet registration requirements.
Six of the students were withdrawn for failing to register for two consecutive semesters, while three others were withdrawn on grounds of poor academic performance.
The Vice-Chancellor and Chairman of Senate, Prof. Salisu Ogbo Usman, reaffirmed the university’s determination to uphold academic excellence, discipline, integrity, patriotism and quality assurance.
According to her, Prof. Usman said the institution would not tolerate any act capable of undermining the credibility of its academic and examination processes as he commended the committees for what he described as thorough and painstaking investigations.
