- Over sexual harassment, exam malpractice, falsification of admission results
FROM ADEYEMI AKANJI, BAUCHI – The Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has dismissed two randy lecturers, Musa Baba Abubakar, and Adebusoye Michael Sunday, accused of sexually harassing two female students of the institution.
Similarly, 30 students have been expelled from the Polytechnic for various offences of exams malpractices and falsification of results to gain admission into programmes offered by the institution
Rising from its regular meeting held on Saturday, October 23 through the early morning of Sunday, October 24, 2021, the Council approved the immediate dismissal from its services of both lecturers allegedly involved in sexual harassment of two female students as reported by the School management.
The affected lecturers, Musa Abubakar of the General Studies Department and Adebusoye Sunday of Nutrition and Dietetics Development, were found culpable by the various investigative committees instituted by the institution since the cases were reported.
The Rector, Architect Sunusi Waziri Gumau, who briefed journalists after the Council meeting presided over by the Chairman, Barrister Isaac Abbot Ogbobula, explained that reports of the various committees on all the cases were properly studied by the Council before arriving at the final decision.
Stating that the delay in taking the decision was not deliberate as insinuated by a section of the media, Arch Gumau said; “We don’t have anything to hide, we only followed due process in accordance with the extant laws of the Institution. I wonder what the hue was all about in the media”.
He further said; “We set up various committees as soon as we received the formal complaints from the victims to ensure that justice was done. We have presented our findings to the Governing Council which during its regular meeting, approved the immediate dismissal of the affected staff.
“They will be served with their letters of dismissal by Monday morning, the institution will copy the relevant security agencies and other concerned authorities. With that, the matter has been put to final rest as far as the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi is concerned, they seized to be staff of the institution forthwith.”
On the 30 students expelled from the Polytechnic for various offences, Arch Gumau explained that 16 of them were dismissed for falsifying their certification used in gaining admission into the institution, saying that a thorough investigation was carried out to ascertain claims by the affected students while 14 others were found guilty of indulging in examination malpractices.
According to the Rector, the affected students were tried and found guilty by the Academic Board of the Polytechnic and the report was presented to the Governing Council for note-taking because it was purely the responsibility of the Academic Board to handle the cases.
On the security of staff and students, Arch Gumau said the Governing Council has approved measures to secure the environment and ensure the safety of community members, adding that security measures were not meant for public discussions.
The Rector also said in line with the Federal Government policy, the Institution is collaborating with private developers to provide more students’ hostels to enhance their safety and security.
He said the Polytechnic would not relent in ensuring academic and moral excellence, warning that no one found wanting will be spared no matter how highly placed.
