- “Stop insulting yourself so that I don’t… If you call me again and ask me silly questions, I will come after you.
The University of Benin has denied issuing an examiner’s certificate to the embattled senior lecturer of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, Dr Peter Ekemezie.
The Public Relations Officer, UNIBEN, Michael Osasuyi, said the person purported to have signed the document was alarmed when he sighted it, adding that it was forged.
PUNCH Metro reached out to the senior lecturer to react, he queried our correspondent’s right to question his claims.
Ekemezie said, “Stop insulting yourself so that I don’t… If you call me again and ask me silly questions, I will come after you.
“Who are you to ask me that question? You are a foolish person. Don’t ask me any silly question. Who are you?”
Ekemezie is a lecturer in the Department of Pure and Industrial Chemistry, Faculty of Physical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
He was employed by the university in July 2010 and no fewer than nine generations of students have passed through his classes and issued certificates by the institution.
The 46-year-old was alleged to have used a forged BSc certificate to secure employment at the school, a claim confirmed by a committee of senior staff member but which the school did not act on.
The matter was later charged to court, as the police reportedly made a similar confirmation.
It later emerged that Ekemezie had also allegedly used plagiarised works to gain promotion and get certain favours from the university as several committees’ reports indicted him.
Again, the university authorities allegedly did not do anything as the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ahaneku, was accused of cover-up.
Ahaneku, however, denied the allegation, saying the institution planned to use anti-plagiarism software on Ekemezie’s works to determine their authenticity or otherwise.
He also denied the plan by the university to promote the embattled lecturer, saying he had been stagnated.
Investigation by PUNCH Metro, however, revealed that Ekemezie had been assessed by his department, faculty and the university and was being prepared for promotion to the rank of Reader (Associate Professor).
Our correspondent learnt that the Appointment and Promotions Committee of the institution met on Thursday and the embattled lecturer’s name was called for confirmation as a Reader.
Ahaneku himself was reported to have shouted down the bid as he referenced our correspondent’s exclusive reports on the allegations against Ekemezie.
A source said, “The way it is done is that the A and P committee will look at each person’s appraisal form and check the scores to say ‘approved or not approved.’ When it was Ekemezie’s turn, the VC asked the members of the committee if they did not read The PUNCH’s reports.
“He said the man had allegations against him and he could not be promoted again. If not for your story, he would have become an associate professor on Thursday. For his form to have got to the A and P committee, it has gone through all the process. The committee was only to ratify it. The VC would have announced him as a Reader (associate professor) and then hand over this Monday.”
During a perusal of several documents and certificates purportedly belonging to Ekemezie, our correspondent found out that he claimed to have served as an external examiner at the Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State in 2012/2013 and 2013/2014) and UNIBEN in 2014/2015.
This was also stated in his 2017 appraisal form.
The Ambrose Alli University has yet to respond to documents sent to the school for verification as its spokesman, Edward Aihevba, said he could not download them.
He asked for a formal letter to be brought to the school for the request to be processed.
The UNIBEN authorities, however, responded after our correspondent sent the document to the PRO through WhatsApp.
The document, purportedly issued by the UNIBEN School of Postgraduate Studies and dated July 24, 2014, was titled, ‘Appointment as an examiner, MSc – Physical and Industrial Chemistry’.
“The board of the Postgraduate School in its 264th meeting considered your appointment as an external examiner in Physical and Industrial Chemistry. You are hereby so appointed. Congratulations,” the document stated and was allegedly signed by one M. O. Izevbizua, the Deputy Registrar and School Secretary for the Registrar.
The UNIBEN spokesman, Osasuyi, however, denied the document.
He stated, “There is nothing like that. One, the university does not issue a document on such matters. If we want to invite an external examiner, we will invite the external examiner through the dean of the faculty. The dean does the invitation.
“Also, on the invitation letter for the purpose of the candidate to be examined, the name of the candidate is stated. It is not that you have been appointed permanently (to be an examiner).
“And then, the signature on the letter is forged. The man (Izevbizua) has moved to another department in the university. When he saw it, he was shocked.”
