by Rachel Ogbu

Five lecturers were involved in various academic frauds were sacked from the University of Calabar with 10 others demoted for “academic dishonesty”.

The Registrar and Secretary to Governing Council, Julia Omang in a statement said on Friday that the disciplinary measure was in line with the institution’s ongoing “bid to curb academic dishonesty”.

She said four of the lecturers sacked were allegedly involved in plagiarism while the fifth one was involved in alleged financial fraud.

The lecturers demoted gained promoted after they published their works in fake journals and then submitted them. The university’s Public Relations Officer, Effiong Eyo, said they are now “to refund all monies earned from their unmerited promotion and barred from promotion for the next six years.”

The statement reads:

“The academic staff dismissed for outright plagiarism include Dr. Azubuike Iloeje and Dr. Maurice Bisong of the Department of English and Literary Studies, Mr. Oden Ubi (Department of Marketing) and Dr. Paulinus Noah of the Department of Linguistics and Communication Studies.

“Dr. Damian Agom was dismissed for salary overpayment, enriching himself to the tune of N7, 268,044. 95 over a period of 11 months.

“The 10 academic staff demoted for publishing in fake or cloned journals include Prof Udoayang, Dr. Asuquo Akabom, Dr. Sunday Effiong and Dr. C. O. Udoka, all of Accounting Department, Professor Molinta Enendu, Department of Theatre and Media Studies and Dr. E. S. Akpan of Banking and Finance.

“Others include 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, Dr. Okpiliya, Dr. Afangideh and Dr. Ashipu were demoted to the rank of Senior Lecturer, others were stepped down to Lecturer I,’’ the statement added.