Nation
No Room For Cultism, Sex-For-Marks In UNIMAID -VC
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Maiduguri, Prof. Aliyu Shugaba, says there is no room for cultism and sex-for-marks in the institution.
Shugaba said this at a forum yesterday in Abuja.
The vice-chancellor said that the university was intensifying measures to ensure that cultism and other social vices were checked adequately.
“Our university has all these while maintained a zero tolerance to cultism and exam malpractice and to some other vices.
“We have never had a situation of cultism on the campus, it is always outside the campus very close to the university,’’ he said
While emphasising that the institution had recorded success in addressing the problems of cultism, Shugaba said that the management was, however, determined to discipline those involved in nefarious activities.
“Where we had a similitude of that we have dealt with it.
“The vice-chancellor has that power to suspend students and arraign them before Students Disciplinary Committee.
“That committee has been working. Each time we have cases we refer it to them and they make a good job of it and report to us.
“Those that need to be expelled will be expelled, those that need to be rusticated for one semester or two they will be given the appropriate punishment.
“There was something that happened and it involved one of the military guys on campus, we reported to the military authorities and they took swift action against that officer of theirs.
“That was the only thing that happened on the campus, they were trying to initiate someone and I think the guy has been dismissed from the military; so we do not have much of that problem,’’ Shugaba said.
The vice-chancellor, who decried the rate of exam malpractice in the education system admonished students to refrain from it, stressing that appropriate sanctions awaited defaulters.
According to him, one that is so much rampant and it is in most of the universities is the issue of exam malpractice.
“There is no single exam we conduct that we do not have students that do that kind of thing but when we catch them doing it we have ways of making them realise their mistakes.
“We have always counselled them; we have always embarked on campaign using bill boards, orientation programmes and the radio station to tell them about the consequences,’’ he said.
Shugaba added that the institution was collaborating with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) to check the menace of drug related vices.
“We bring the NDLEA to the campus to counsel the students on the effects of drugs.
“So, that has brought it to the barest minimum but our greatest headache is the examination malpractice where every semester we have reports.
“We bring the students before the committee, examine and give them chance to defend themselves and those found guilty depending on the level of the offence will either be expelled or suspended for one or two semesters.
“Because we are doing that it is gradually reducing and in the last two semesters there hasn’t been much cases.
“We have had some that were expelled but if you consider the total number of students on the campus the number expelled is negligible.
On the issue of sex for marks, Shugaba said “since we got to know about the happenings in other institutions, we have been working on our own academic staff to ensure that these things don’t happen.
“There are instances where we have invited some that were reported, they have been seriously warned and I can assure you that the situation is now giving way,’’ Shugaba said.
The Rivers State Judiciary has denied claims of media reports circulating online that a judge of its High Court issued a ruling in favour of Governor Siminalayi Fubara against former Governor Nyesom Wike and President Bola Tinubu, there by sacking the sole Administrator of the state, vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ibas (rtd).
A statement signed by the Chief Registrar of the State High Court, David Ihua-Maduenyi yesterday in Port Harcourt, described the purported report as false and misleading, particularly for linking a judge of the State High Court, Justice Boma Diepirii, to a ruling that reportedly came from a Federal High Court.
According to the statement, Justice Boma Diepirii is a Judge of the Rivers State High Court and not of the Federal High Court and currently on Easter Vacation, which commenced on Monday, 14th April.
The Chief Registrar further clarified that the Federal High Court and the State High Court are separate entities, stressing that “the inclusion of Justice Diepiri’s name in the fabricated report underscores the crass ignorance of the author.”
“The attention of the Rivers State Judiciary has been drawn to a fake news report alleging that His Lordship, Hon. Justice Boma Diepiri, delivered a judgment sacking the Sole Administrator of Rivers State. This is false in its entirety,” the statement read.
“Justice Diepiri is a judge of the High Court of Rivers State, not of the Federal High Court as was falsely reported”.
” Additionally, His Lordship is currently on Easter vacation which began on Monday, April 14, 2025, Ihua-Maduenyi stated.
The statement however advised the general public and members of the media to always cross checked information concerning the judiciary before publishing and as well disregard the said report in its entirety as its an embodiment of falsehood and fabricated story.
The Senate yesterday approved the bills for the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences and College of Education, Bende at its plenary session.
The two bills sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon . Benjamin Kalu came to the Senate for concurrence after the approvals from the House of Representatives.
The Deputy Leader of the Senate, Sen. Lola Ashiru in the absence of the Majority Leader presented the recommendations of the Lower Chamber for consideration and Concurrence .
The Bill for an Act to establish Federal College of Education, Bende in Abia State seeks to provide full-time courses, training in technology, applied sciences, commerce, social sciences, arts and humanities among others.
Kalu had in his lead debate stated that Bende has remained undivided since its creation in 1976, even though with the size of four local government areas as found in comparative federal constituencies.
“Despite its strategic location in Abia and sharing a border with Akwa Ibom, with a growing population and landmass, there is no tertiary institution in the Federal Constituency operated either by Federal or State Government. Bende deserves to have the presence of a tertiary institution to serve the education need of the teeming youthful population, especially now that the need for well-trained educationists has risen. This is accompanied by the need to fill the gaps created by both the consequences of brain drain and the lack of qualified educationists to provide quality training at all levels of education,” he said.
For the bill seeking the establishment of Federal University of Medical and Health Sciences, Bende, Abia State, he said when it becomes law, the university will be charged with the responsibility to, among other things, offer full-time training leading to the award of degrees in medical and health sciences.
Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi
South East Caucus of the Senate has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to immorttalise late Professor Humphrey Nwosu considering his commitment to achieving a practical democracy for Nigerian.
The Senators visibly angered by the Senate’s rejection of the need to immortalise the late National Electoral umpire who stood for democracy through the turbulent 1993 elections stormed out of the Senate Chambers and spoke to the press .
The Chairman of the South East Caucus, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe ( Abia South), as he did in plenary on Wednesday, presented a motion for immortalisation of Humphrey Nwosu by naming the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , after him , for laying the foundation in 1993 and conducting the freest and fairest Presidential election in the country .
The late Professor Nwosu was the National Chairman of the National Electoral Commission ( NEC) , now known as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) , who through option A4, conducted the June 12, 19993 presidential election , adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the country.
Abaribe in the motion co – sponsored by 15 other Senators , said late Humphrey Nwosu deserved to be immortalised like other heroes of the June 12 , 1993 presidential election .
He also urged the Federal Government to honour the late former electoral umpire with post humous national honours .
But Abaribe’s request , seconded by Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central) and supported by Senators from the South East including forner Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi ( Kebbi North) , was roundly rejected by other Senators who said the deceased deserved no immortalization .
Specifically , Senator Adams Oshiomhole ( Edo North) , in his contribution to the debate said the motion to him, was nothing but an attempt to manipulate and rewrite history.
“ Professor Humphrey Nwosu as NEC Chairman in 1993, failed to deliver on the June 12 , 1993 Presidential Election for lack of Courage
“ He who is not ready to die for something , will die for nothing
“ If he was afraid of the gun from announcing the election results and winner in 1993 , he cannot be rewarded now , more so, when many Nigerians died for what he inadvertently created “, he said .
Nneka Amaechi -Nnadi