There is confusion at the Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State,
following a startling revelation that certain dead students of the
institution were graded and awarded marks in recent semester
examinations.
A rights group, International Society for Civil
Liberties and Rule of Law openedthecan of worms in a petition to the
school authorities recently
The petition entitled: “Complaints
Against Wrongful Allocation of Results to Deceased Students’: A call for
Investigation and Redress, alleged that “one of the deceased students
awarded marks in exams he never participated was Late Ezeh Uchenna with
registration number FPO/SLT/ND/R1/012/038.
The petition was signed by the Chairman of the group’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi.
According
to the group, “The said Uchenna was given upper credit (3.05) and
awarded 67 in Cell Biology, 81 in Organic Chemistry, 60 in Physical
Chemistry, 49 in Electricity and Magnetism, 44 in Optics and Waves, 66
in Analytical Chemistry, 70 in General Lab Techniques, 69 in Computer
Packages and so on.
It also alleged that some students who had
long left the polytechnic were captured in the last semester examination
records of the school,
InterSociety said the purpose of its
petition was to ensure that the right things were done, noting that some
students who complained about the irregularities and recklessness were
being victimised by the school authorities.
“Just two days ago,
they were called and invited by the school security authorities to come
and defend the letter InterSociety wrote to the school and defend their
involvement over same.
“The students also informed InterSociety
that their names have been forwarded to the School’s Anti-Cult Brigade
to be treated as common criminals and cultists.
“As a matter of
fact, they have gone into hiding; operating amorphously to avoid being
physically assaulted and held captive. Their state of mind is also
psychologically battered leading to mental torture,”InterSociety said.
InterSociety said, “We regard these approaches as very uncalled for, reprehensible, despicable and condemnable.
“The
school must not be an outlaw and dangle with the provisions of the
Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 particularly its
Section 35 (personal liberty), 36 (fair hearing) and 39 (freedom of
expression).
“Your school must also understand that the engine
room of the corporate social responsibilities, which it is a party to;
is founded on human rights. Students who complain of certain anomalies
through duly constituted processes are not only sticklers of due
process, but also entitled to fair hearing and free speech or
expression.
“It saddens our heart that till date no reasonable
investigation over the students’ complaints has been commenced and
concluded by the school authorities.
It further submitted that
“As for the referenced Head of Department, who was newly elevated to the
academic rank of Deanship, we demand that she should be called to order
and compelled to revisit the issue. As we have earlier demanded, no
student of the referenced department should be punished or maltreated
over the issue.
It noted that“The students’ assertion that the
lecturers that handled the referenced courses and exams should be
compelled to tender their raw result score sheets for the purpose of
verification should be commended and heeded.
In his reaction, the
Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Godwin Onu, said he had
constituted a committee to investigate the matter, adding it was the
work of bad people working to paint the polytechnic black in the eyes of
the public.
