The University of Calabar (UniCal) has taken disciplinary action against one of its lecturers, Dr. Joseph Akpan, following allegations of tampering with students’ examination results. The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Florence Obi, made this announcement in Calabar on Wednesday, revealing that the lecturer had been suspended for his alleged misconduct.
According to the Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Akpan, who held the position of Head of Department (HOD) of Pharmacology, was accused of altering 235 examination scripts out of 242 that had been entrusted to him. These were scores from the course Introduction to General Antimicrobial Pharmacology (PHM 311). Prof. Obi stated that out of all the scripts, only five were found to be marked genuinely without any changes.
In addition to the alterations, it was alleged that Dr. Akpan awarded marks to two students who did not even participate in the examination, further raising concerns about the integrity of the department’s grading process.
The Vice-Chancellor noted that Dr. Akpan reportedly admitted to the misconduct before the Senate Examination Misconduct Committee (SEMC). In his defense, he allegedly stated that he inflated the students’ grades to “protect the image of the department.” However, the university management found this explanation both “ridiculous and unacceptable.”
In response to the allegations, UniCal management has relieved Dr. Akpan of his duties as both the HOD of Pharmacology and the Coordinator of the PHM 311 course. His suspension from all official duties took effect from October 8, 2024. The Vice-Chancellor further disclosed that Dr. Akpan’s responsibilities have been reassigned to other qualified lecturers in the department to ensure the smooth running of academic activities.
Moreover, Dr. Akpan has been instructed to stay away from the university premises unless required to appear before relevant committees. The university is firm in its stance on maintaining high academic standards, and this disciplinary action reflects its commitment to upholding integrity within its academic framework.
