The Special Intervention Team has come under fire from the Academic Staff Union of the University of the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma Chapter, for its assertion that it has found academic fraud at the institution.
According to The PUNCH, the SIT had claimed that 30 foreign-educated students had received degrees from AAU as a result of the university’s teachers marking their exam scripts.
The chairman of the ASUU chapter, Dr. Cyril Onognosele, called the claim “an illusion” and urged SIT’s spokesperson, Austin Osakwe, to release the names, courses, departments, and graduation years of the allegedly academically dishonest students as well as information about the lecturers involved.
He said that the SIT’s actions were hurting the school’s reputation and that the agency was making up the complaints to extend its own March-expiring term.
Onognosele said, “In presenting SIT’s progress report to the Governor of Edo State, Mr. Austin Osakue claimed that SIT had uncovered academic fraud in the University. Further, he alleged that over 30 students schooling overseas had graduated from AAU, Ekpoma due to the marking of their examination answer scripts by lecturers of the University.
“ASUU considers this allegation of academic fraud as an illusion and demands publication of the names, courses, departments, years of graduation of the students in question as well as details of the lecturers involved in the alleged academic fraud.
“Does graduation of students in a university start and end with “marking of scripts”? Among other requirements, for a student to graduate from the University, first, the student must be admitted, registered, take lectures, pass the examination of courses, and get the approval of results/recommendation for graduation from the Department Board of Studies, Faculty Board of Studies and the Senate of the University.
“Why then is the graduation of the students in the alleged academic fraud restricted to “marking of scripts by lecturers”? Undoubtedly, it is a ploy to give the dog a bad name so as to hang it. For self-serving reasons, a particular member of the SIT who is the de facto chairman of the team is preoccupied with, and committed to blackmailing the academic staff of the University and demarketing the University in order to consign the image of the University to the hall of shame.
“This has serious implications for the academic integrity and credibility of the University in local, national, and global competitiveness, and is unacceptable to ASUU and stakeholders of goodwill for the University.
“Consequently, we insist on a thorough, transparent, and just investigation of the claim of academic fraud in the University widely believed to be in the realm of propaganda and blackmail. We urge the Visitor to the University/Governor of Edo State to direct full investigation into the allegation of academic fraud which is an ‘indictment’ of all relevant organs and authorities of the University and not just the lecturers,” he added.
The interim and progress reports by SIT to the Visitor to AAU and the general public, according to the ASUU head, are full of misinformation and propaganda and should be scrutinised in order to ascertain the true situation of the crisis at the University.
He added, “Edo State Government as a matter of urgency should implement the decisions reached at the stakeholders’ meeting on the crisis in the University held on 16th March, 2023 in order to genuinely resolve the crisis rocking the University.
“Without delay, the problem of selective payment of salaries of staff in the University should be resolved with payment of all outstanding salaries to staff of the University.
“The Union believes that repositioning of a university does not translate to infringement of workers’ rights, denial of wages, and lack of improved welfare of workers.
“The annual increments of staff salaries stopped by the University Administration should be restored. We implore the Visitor to the University, as a matter of urgency, to constitute a governing council for the University to enable the University to function properly,” he added.
