The University of Calabar (UNICAL) has sacked five members of the non-academic staff and demoted three others for engaging in various fraudulent acts.

This is coming barely 24 hours after three undergraduates were suspended by the institution’s authorities for threatening their lecturers and allegedly smoking hard substances suspected to be Indian hemp.

The affected staff include Mr. Valentine Eworo and Ms Theodora Agama both of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Mr. Samuel Philip Bassey of the dean’s office, Faculty of Arts, Mr. Egbala Bassey of the Vice Chancellor’s office and Mrs. Roseline Etim Eyo of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies.

The decision to terminate their appointments and demotion was arrived at the Governing Council’s 157th meeting in which it unanimously adopted the report of the disciplinary committee that looked into the matter, describing the staffs act as “gross misconduct”.

The sack and demotion were conveyed in separate letters signed by the registrar of the institution, Mr. Gabriel Egbe, and dated January 23, 2020.

According to the letter, the sack and demotion takes effect from December 13, 2019, while that of Mrs. Roseline takes effect from May 6, 2019.

Council, however, commended Prof. Ikana Uwah and Mr. Francis Akpan of the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry for the role they played in promptly reporting sharp practices perpetrated by some members of staff in the department.

The council expressed gratitude to the duo for acting responsibly and in the overall interest of the university.

While Mr. Valentine Eworo and Ms Theodora Agama were relieved of their appointments for allegedly altering examination grades and results of Organic Chemistry II, General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II courses for some students of the department, Mr. Samuel Philip Bassey of the dean’s office, Faculty of Arts, was also sacked for defrauding the university by cloning the signatures of the immediate past and present vice-chancellors, on a purported “authorisation to travel form” which enabled him obtain funds from the university for conference attendance.

Similarly, Mr. Egbala Bassey of the vice-chancellor’s office was also sacked for his alleged involvement in acts of financial misconduct and employment racketeering.

He was said to have collected monies from some persons with the intention of facilitating and securing employment into the university.

Mrs. Roseline Etim Eyo of the Department of Religious and Cultural Studies was also dismissed for misconduct. (The Sun)