Authorities of Bayero University Kano (BUK) are taking steps to strengthen best practices through promoting integrity by eliminating all forms of academic fraud. Thus, University Senate at its 374th meeting held on July 31, 2019 approved the expulsion of 24 students as a last resort for what it called falsification of entry qualifications.
Also, six others were asked to withdraw from the university for allegedly presenting fake results while another student of B.Sc. Mass Communication withdrawn for presenting school certificate exam result already cancelled by the National Examination Council.
A statement by the Director, Examinations, Admissions and Records (DEAR), said the expulsion followed a report submitted by the Senate Committee on Entry Qualification Irregularities. The statement said the actions of the expelled students contravened categories 3.6 and 3.8(a) respectively of the General Examinations and Academic Regulations (GEAR).
In the same vein, 18 students would be re-invited to appear before the Senate Committee on Entry Qualification Irregularities for fair hearing, the statement said. Similarly, 63 students are said to have been expelled and 13 others rusticated for one year for their involvement in various forms of examination misconducts.
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This followed a recommendation submitted by the Senate Committee on Examinations Misconduct and Leakages approved on August 28, 2019, at the 374th meeting of the highest decision making body of the institution. Nineteen students were served with warning letters for other infractions. However, these steps taken by the university have raised public concern on why it took it so long to take the decisions that have dire consequences, taking into consideration that a good number of those affected were either in their final year of studies or have graduated. Again, since the falsified and fake results were presented at the entry level, students were about the gate-keeping structure of the admission unit. Some of the victims claimed they were not fairly treated with others expressing resolve to appeal the decision of the university.
When Daily Trust contacted the institution for clarification, an official at the DEAR, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: “It’s good to understand the number of students as well as the number of activities we are dealing with at that entry level for one to appreciate how rigorous the task is. “In terms of number of students, we are talking about over 8,000 students, and as the name of our directorate implies, we are dealing with issues of examination, admissions and records, each of which is an enormous task on its own,” the official said.
The official further explained that a large number of students with fake and altered results were blocked during screening, but that since there was no point reporting that, it did not attract attention. “You see, after the rigours of examination, admission and screening, we then deal with the issue of records, and that is when the real and meticulous screening will take place as you cannot conduct the two concurrently, otherwise, you will not be able to complete your admission process within the time specified by the academic calendar. “At this level, each and every newly admitted student is a potential suspect and it is only a careful verification that will ascertain whether he/she has a clean record or that they have some questions to answer,” the official explained. “Those that come through UTME are a bit easier to verify, because we use scratch cards to verify their results, but for DE students, where we have thousands of them.
