The University of Calabar (UniCal) has suspended its Head of Department (HOD) of Pharmacology, Joseph Akpan, over alleged examination script tampering. The institution’s Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof. Florence Obi, disclosed this on Wednesday in Calabar.
According to her, the suspended lecturer allegedly altered 235 examination result scripts. Obi stated that Akpan allegedly altered students’ scores in the Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311) course results.
She added that Akpan altered the scores in 235 result scripts out of the 242 result scripts entrusted to his care. She noted that only five scripts were genuinely marked without alteration.
The VC stated further that two students who did not participate in the examination were awarded marks. “The lecturer also allegedly gave out marks to two students who did not participate in the examinations,” she said.
The VC claimed that Akpan admitted the misconduct before the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee (SEMC). Obi stated that Akpan allegedly admitted that he inflated the scores of students in PHM 311 to protect the image of the department, which she described as “ridiculous and unacceptable.”
“Consequently, the management of the University has directed that he should be relieved of his appointment as HOD and Coordinator of PHM 311, as well as suspended from duty with effect from Oct. 8, 2024.
“Akpan’s official responsibilities are to be reassigned to other qualified lecturers in the department. He has also been directed to stay away from the university forthwith unless while responding to the invitation of relevant committees,” the VC noted.
