The University of Calabar has suspended Joseph Akpan, a lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology, due to serious allegations of misconduct regarding examination results.
The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Florence Obi, announced the suspension during a press conference in Calabar on Wednesday.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Prof. Obi, Akpan is accused of manipulating 235 examination result scripts in his capacity as Head of Department.
“He altered student scores in the Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311) course, impacting nearly all of the 242 result scripts entrusted to him,” she stated.
The Vice Chancellor further alleged that Akpan provided marks to two students who did not participate in the examination. “Out of the 242 scripts, only five were genuinely marked without alteration,” she added, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.
Prof. Obi revealed that Akpan reportedly confessed to the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee, stating that he inflated scores to safeguard the department’s reputation. “This reasoning is both absurd and unacceptable,” she asserted.
As a result of these findings, the university has taken decisive action, relieving Akpan of his roles as HOD and Coordinator of PHM 311, and suspending him from his duties effective October 8, 2024.
“His official responsibilities will be reassigned to other qualified lecturers within the department,” the Vice Chancellor confirmed.
Additionally, Akpan has been instructed to refrain from entering the university premises, except when responding to inquiries from relevant committees.
