At least 28 students of the Institute of Management and Technology, IMT, Enugu are to face sanctions over their involvement in sorting lecturers for upgrade of scores.
This was disclosed by the IMT Rector, Professor Gozie Ogbodo, when Dr. Ben Nwoye, a lecturer at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Institute for Peace, Conflict and Development Studies (IPCDS), led PhD students on intern to visit the Rector.
Ogbodo applauded IPCDS for its commitment in grooming students who would serve as Ambassadors of peace to the society on completion of their studies.
He expressed readiness to partner IPCDS in advancing peace in Enugu State and elsewhere via the institution.
He, however, advocated for the need to evolve modern way of resolving conflict because of the contemporary technological advancement in the present day world.
The Rector regretted that unresolved conflicts had wrecked serious havoc on nations across the globe, including Nigeria.
On the ongoing reforms in the IMT, the Rector said he met expired curriculum and programmes on assumption of office, “but as I speak, “all the academic programmes have been restored because I declared state of emergency on the situation.
“Upon assumption of office, I discovered that over 70% of our academic programmes were expired, overdue for accreditation and re-accreditation and consequently, I declared a state of emergency in respect to the academic programmes.
“Then by the special grace of God, the governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, was very supportive and we were able to subject the programmes to accreditation in April 4th, 5th and 6th.
“They came here and subjected all of them to accreditation, the officials of National Board for Technical Education, NBTE, came here this week.
“On Tuesday, I received the official notification that we scored 100% of the accreditation.
“And more importantly, we were granted full accreditation. The first in IMT. It was not partial but full accreditation for all the programmes.
“The core essence of any tertiary institution and indeed any institution is academic programmes, and that is what we are here for.
“In addressing academic programmes, we look at it from two perspectives, the quantity and quality. What is the quantity, how many number of courses are you offering? Here we are offering 65 programmes.
“I have started enforcing students’ attendance and enforcing that any student who does not attend lectures for 70% of the term will not be eligible to write examinations.
“I want to make sure that as students are encouraged to attend lectures, the lecturers also are encouraged to come and teach them. It takes two to tango in any academic institution. If students come and the lecturers don’t come, it doesn’t not make sense and vice versa.
“I have set up two monitoring teams now. Every day, they must monitor the lecturers, make sure the lecturers are there and if they are not there, write me a report. And the students make sure that they are there.
“Every student in IMT today must enter into the gate in his departmental uniform. In November when I came here, they could come in with anything they liked. And so today, that one is settled. If you are not wearing your departmental uniform, you will not enter the gate.
“In my experience, any student that endeavors to attend lectures for 50% of the semester will have enough material and confidence to enter into the examination hall without looking for anywhere to sort.
“There was a menace that I also inherited. That menace is called sorting. Today, I have also banned sorting and there is a popular cliche that the sorter and the sorted will be punished because it takes two to tango.
“I have about 28 cases of people who have attempted to sort and we are handling it.”
Earlier, Nwoye, accompanied on the visit by the Institute’s Academic Coordinator, Dr. Chiedozie Nwafor, averred that peace remained paramount in human existence and development.
The politician turned classroom teacher, noted that conflict from time immemorial had never done any nation any good.
He said that the visit was part of the learning process for the Ph.D students of the Professor Felix Asogwa-led Institute.
Nwoye further explained that the visit was “in line with the mission and vision of the Institute.”
The former Enugu State Chairman of the ruling All progressive Congress said that it was also designed to explore potentials and challenges for the development of the state and the nation.
According to him, the programme was not a mere place for theorising, but that of practice.
