12 Auchi Poly lecturers sacked for trading ‘higher grades’ for sex

Twelve lecturers of Auchi Polytechnic, Edo, have been dismissed by the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for giving undergraduates high grades in exchange for sex.

Masa’udu Kazaure, executive secretary of the board, announced the lecturers’ dismissal on Thursday at a news conference in Kaduna.

16 other lecturers were demoted while four others were warned.

Kazaure noted that a report published in Punch newspaper on April 9, 2016: ‘School Where Prostitutes Assist Male Students to Get Marks’, led to an investigation which shed light on the activities of the lecturers.

He said a fact-finding committee with representation from EFCC, ICPC, DSS, NBTE and the ministry of education came together to investigate the matter.

The committee’s report, he said, was submitted to Adamu Adamu, minister of education, on June 14, and the recommendations were approved November 21.

“The summary of the publication indicated that students hire prostitutes or beg their girlfriends to sleep with lecturers on their behalf in order to earn higher grades in their courses.

“The lecturer chooses a hotel of his choice and the affected students pay the hotel bills, which include the meals before the action.

“Some of the lecturers give the option of paying by cash, which cost between N10,000 and N20,000, which could give the student not more than a ‘C’ grade.

“We promptly informed the Minister of Education, Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) and Department of Security Services (DSS).”

“Consequently, the minister approved the dismissal from the services of the polytechnic two chief lecturers, two principal lecturers and one Lecturer I.

“Also, four chief lecturers, one Principal Lecturer, one Lecturer I, one Lecturer II and one Higher Technician had their appointments terminated.

“The minister also approved the demotion of one Chief Lecturer, four principal lecturers, three senior lecturers, three Lecturer I, four Lecturer II, and one Senior Instructor.

“One Chief lecturer, one Principal Lecturer, one lecturer I, and one Lecturer II were warned, while a Chief lecturer and one Senior Technologist were advised to be of good conduct.

“In addition, two senior lecturers were cautioned, an Assistant Lecturer is to be mentored and one ND student is to be advised, while another student denied admission into the polytechnic,” said Kazaure.