The Academic Staff Union of Universities has denied that Benedicta Dauda, a former staff member of the University of Jos, who moved to Taraba State University, was cleared of examination malpractice.
The lecturer was suspended following her alleged involvement in examination misconduct, but she later moved to Taraba. There had been reports that the management of the University of Jos had exonerated Daudu from the allegation.
However, in a statement on Wednesday, the Chairman of ASUU, University of Jos, Dr. Lazarus Maigoro, said at no time did UNIJOS exonerate the professor from the allegation of examination malpractice.
The ASUU chairman said, “As a union that believes in the principles of academic integrity towards attaining high academic standards even where its members are involved and the university in general, we want to state that the reports are false and a misrepresentation of the issues, in relation to the examination misconduct saga concerning Dr. Benedicta Daudu. “Our position is based on the fact that Dr Benedicta Daudu appeared before the University senate committee on examination misconduct and accepted committing the misconduct.”
He added that the registrar of the university later revealed the senate decision, suspending her from the University of Jos for one academic session.
He said, “Paragraph three of the memo reads, ‘Senate at its 2nd regular meeting for the 2015/2016 Academic Session held on June 30th, 2016, considered the reports of its committee as it affects you and approved that you be suspended for two semesters with effect from the begining of the first semester, 2015/2016 Academic Session.
“Senate also approved the cancellation of your MRPP 513 examination result in line with item 3(a) of the Reviewed Examination Regulations and Guidelines. You are accordingly, suspended from the university with immediate effect, and your MRPP 513 examination result is hereby cancelled.’
“Examination misconduct whether it is a lecturer or a student that is involved is a serious breach of examination ethics that cannot go unpunished once the person is caught.
“Therefore, to say that the university of Jos cleared her of examination misconduct is actually not true and as major stakeholders in the University of Jos, our union felt obliged to present the true position.”
