UniCal Dismisses 5 Lecturers, Demotes 10 for Plagiarism & Financial Fraud

Five academic staff of the University of Calabar have been dismissed
from the institution after being found guilty of plagiarism and
financial fraud, while ten others have been demoted from their
positions, bellanaija reports. The news was disclosed by the Governing
Council of the University in a press release last friday.
According to the release which was signed by the secretary to the
Council and Registrar of the institution, Dr. Julia Omang , four of
the dismissed academic staff were involved in plagiarism while one was
a case of financial fraud.
The press release, which was made available to The Nation Newspaper,
further states that 10 academic staff were demoted because they chose
to publish their works in fake or cloned journals and proceeded to
submit same and obtained promotion in the process.
Those that were dismissed for outright plagiarism are, Dr. Azubuike
Iloeje and Dr. Maurice Bisong of the Department of English and
Literary Studies, Mr. Oden Ubi of the Department of Marketing and Dr.
Paulinus Noah of the Department of Linguistics and Communication
Studies.
The release further states that Dr. Damian Agom was dismissed for
salary overpayment, thereby enriching himself to the tone of N7,
268,044. 95 over a period of 11 months.
The demoted lecturers are – Prof. Udoayang, Dr. Asuquo Akabom, Dr.
Sunday Effiong and Dr. C. O. Udoka , all of Accounting Department,
Prof. Molinta Enendu Department of Theatre and Media Studies and Dr.
E.S. Akpan of Banking and Finance.
Also demoted are – Dr. A.I. Afangideh and Dr. Francis Okpiliya of the
Department of Geography and Environment Science and Dr. K.B.C Ashipu
of the Department of English and Literary Studies.
Professors Udoayang and Enendu were demoted to the rank of senior
lecturer, while Dr. Okpiliya, Dr. Afangideh and Dr. Ashipu have now
moved down to position of lecturer 1.
Besides their demotion, they are to refund all monies earned from
their unmerited promotion and barred from promotion for the next six
years, the release stated.
It is disheartening that the sort of offences usually committed by
corrupt politicians and public office holders has filtered into the
academic institutions to such an extent that is punishable with
dismissal and demotions.
Using fake journals to obtain a promotion is not just the sort of
thing we hear of from academicians. Fraud and plagiarism are also
serious offences which are not supposed to be taken lightly,
especially in an environment where the characters of our future
leaders are being molded.