No Sanctions On Nekede Poly Student In S3x-For-Grade Video — Rector

BY ONYEKACHUKWU IBEZIM – Despite describing her behaviour as unacceptable and out-of-line, the management of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri, Imo State says the student who claimed to have graduated from the institution with the help of God and her private parts will suffer no victimisation.

Rector of the institution, Dr Michael Arimanwa, who commented on the issue while assessing his administration’s achievements in the last four years, assured that the said student would not be victimised under his watch.

According to the Rector, who acknowledged that the video had gone viral, the School authorities would be circumspect in handling the matter to ensure that the culprit is not victimize in anyway.

He said; “The lady made the unfortunate video that circulated widely across the world because the video was watched by people nearly everywhere.

“I have received calls and comments from people almost everywhere on earth. So, I know that video had gone quite wide. It is an unfortunate thing”.

However, he said having already set up a panel to handle the matter, the School management would not want to jump the gun, adding: “We don’t want to pre-empt the outcome of the Committee because we will interact with her tomorrow from the notice I have seen. We are not going to in any way victimise her under my watch but we will follow the rules, we will stand by the rule and due process.”

The Rector, who assured that the school has a functional mechanism to punish both staff and students who had erred in the past, further said; “Some people have been punished, some people (were) removed as Heads of Departments, some have gone through suspension, some people have been downgraded, and some people have been barred from promotion for some many reasons.”

According to him, the school has laws and policies that govern it and “those who go against such policies, whether exam malpractices, sexual harassment or any other infractions,” are duly punished.

Some have lost promotion; some have been sacked actually. We have sacked like two people. Some have been demoted and a few students have been expelled as well for one issue or another. We have always handled them dispassionately and laid them to rest.”

Recalled that the said student, Ogechi Okoroafor, had said in a viral video claimed she graduated from the institution with the help of God and her private parts. – With agency reports