Exclusive :: 15 lecturers demoted for faking Ph.D degree certificates in Ebonyi

The Governing Council of Ebonyi State College of Education, Ikwo during the weekend, demoted about 15 lecturers over alleged involvement in certificate forgery, and the false claims that they have acquired Ph.D from reputable institutions outside the country.

DailyPost has gathered that the management of the college had earlier set up a committee to look into the alleged claims by the lecturers in order to restore sanity and discipline back
the state’s education sector.

However, reports and recommendations from the committee revealed that the lecturers forged their Ph.D certificates.

Commenting on the lecturers demotion, the Special Adviser to Ebonyi state Governor on Higher Education, Professor Mike Ituma, said that the discovery came as a shock, stressing that the action of the affected lecturers was a reflection of the level of decay that has taken over the sector.

According to him, the

action of the management of the college was a step in the right direction and government is completely in support of its decision on the lecturers.

In a statement, Public Relations Officer of the college, Mr. Nkwuda Bethrand Otukobelu, noted that the 15 affected lecturers would not be allowed to run any promotion course packaged by the college till after three years.

In his words, “A lot of processes were followed in verification and evaluation of the certificates of the lecturers involved. Six of the affected lecturers who had their Ph.Ds from the institutions should stop parading themselves as Ph.D holders and stop adding the title ‘Dr.’ to their names.

“That as regards to their present positions, nine of them have been demoted to Lecturer III; two to Assistant Lecturers and the remaining two to non-academic staff for not possessing relevant qualifications to be in the academic cadre.

“That six of them who enjoyed financial benefits with the controversial certificates are to refund such benefits which accrued to them in excess of their present new position.”

“Findings by the committee and letters from the National Universities Commission, NUC, and the Federal Ministry of Education show that the institutions were neither approved nor recognised by the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

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