UNICAL fires 5 staff, demotes 3 for exams misconduct, admission frauds

Helen Williams

The University of Calabar (UNICAL), in Cross River State of Nigeria, has sacked five members of the non-academic staff and demoted 3 others for engaging in various fraudulent acts.

Agency report indicates that the latest development arises barely 24 hours after three undergraduates were suspended by the institution’s authorities for threatening their lecturers and allegedly smoking hard substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

The affected staff, the source stated, include Mr. Valentine Eworo and Ms. Theodora Agama, both of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry;  Mr. Samuel Philip Bassey of the Dean’s office, Faculty of Arts; Mr. Egbala Bassey of the Vice-Chancellor’s office and Mrs. Roseline Etim Eyo of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies.

The decision to terminate their appointments and demotion was said to have been reached at the Governing Council’s 157th meeting, where it unanimously adopted the report of the disciplinary committee that looked into the matter.

The report described the affected staff’s act as “gross misconduct”.

Separate letters dated January 23, 2020, and signed by Mr. Gabriel Egbe, Registrar of UNICAL, communicated the sack and demotion to the alleged errant staff.

According to the letter, the sack and demotion takes effect from December 13, 2019, while that of Mrs. Roseline takes effect from May 6, 2019.

The Governing Council, however, commended Prof. Ikana Uwah and Mr. Francis Akpan of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry for the role they played in promptly reporting sharp practices perpetrated by some members of staff in the department.

The council expressed gratitude to the duo for acting responsibly and in the overall interest of the university.

Whereas Mr. Valentine Eworo and Ms. Theodora Agama were relieved of their appointments for allegedly altering examination grades and results of Organic Chemistry II, General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II courses for some students of the department, Mr. Samuel Phillip Bassey of the Dean’s office, Faculty of Arts, was dismissed for defrauding the University by cloning the signatures of the immediate past and present vice-chancellors.

The cloning of signatures was in connection with a purported “authorisation to travel form’’ which enabled him obtain funds from the university for conference attendance.

Mr. Egbala Bassey of the Vice-Chancellor’s office was also sacked for his suspected involvement in acts of financial misconduct and employment racketeering.

He was alleged to have collected monies from some persons with the intention of facilitating and securing employment for them in UNICAL.

Mrs. Roseline Etim Eyo of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies was also dismissed for misconduct.