Prof. Florence Obi Takes Drastic Measures To Eradicate Unauthorized Charges In University of Calabar, Removes HOD Computer Science Department

 

Prof. Florence Obi, Vice-Chancellor UNICAL

Education in Nigeria has witnessed a level of deterioration propelled by the extortion and collection of unauthorised charges by heads of departments and lecturers. This singular action has led most students into involvements in callous and wrong means of raising money as a means of meeting up with the demands of the institution as imposed by their heads of department and lecturers.

Some lecturers make the purchase of their textbook conditions for fulfilling their course requirement and criteria for writing semester examination, which in turn, makes it compulsory for students to purchase their textbooks.  

Others have also embraced the habit of demanding money from students in exchange for grades. All these have enhanced the deterioration of the Nigerian education standard and increased the production of half-baked graduates who know little or nothing about their course of study.

The removal of the Head of Department of the Computer Science University of Calabar, Mr. Moses Agana from office by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi is an example for all who view their position as a money-making venture rather than seeing it as an opportunity to serve the country diligently. 

Mr. Agana was removed due to extortion and the collection of unauthorized charges from students. He was removed from office on the 5th of October, 2021.

The management of the University has also constituted a 3-man fact-finding committee led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mike Okom. The committee also has the Dean of Students, Dr. Tony Eyang, and the Chief Security Officer, Mr. Okon Usani as members of the committee. The committee is to investigate and report all cases of extortion and collection of unauthorized charges by lecturers, heads of Departments, and unit heads.

The action of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Obi is viewed as timely and proactive as it is geared towards sanitizing and eradicating fraud and it’s like in the education system. 

Consequently, Professor Obi directed with immediate effect the stoppage of payment for CBT examination in GSS, payment for library registration, and payment for studio in the Department of Science Laboratory technology amongst others. Adding that students who had paid those charges are to have their money refunded with immediate effect.