By Theresa Vamboi
Over various expressed views of instituted disciplinary actions against whom they consider as errant students,the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Milton Margai College of Education and Technology, (MMCE&T) polytechnic, Elizabeth Sesay on Friday 22nd November 2019 clarified at her Goderich campus office that the administration recently investigated and withheld the results of 9 students and rusticated 22 others for examination malpractices, and for riotous conduct during the Students’ Union electioneering process.
She noted that 19 students were rusticated for examination malpractices adding that 14 of the students are from the Goderich campus and 5 from the Congo Cross campus respectively.
She assured that the culprits were thoroughly investigated by credible people who made up the Committee with some of the students even confessing that the consequences of examination malpractices to the development of the country need not be overemphasized and stressed that the college is determined to eradicate examination malpractices to prevent students graduating with useless certificates.
She also disclosed that the administration has dismissed Dr. Adikali Sesay of the Physical Health Education Department for examination malpractices, intimating that this is not the first time Dr. Adikali Sesay has been involved in the fictitious award of grades to students citing the 2009/2010 academic year, when the Committee checked his records only to discover that Dr. Sesay had been warned and suspended for same in the past with firm warnings from previous administrations, that if repeated, he would face grave consequences; the reason why the college would no longer maintain his services and assured that the Committee findings were transparent, fair, free of malice, vindictiveness or any other sentiments but just to sanitize the system.
According to the PRO, the administration setup a reputable Disciplinary Committee to investigate the matter after some students complained that some of their colleagues who did not even take the examinations were awarded grades by Dr. Sesay and informed that other evidences in the possession of the Committee that were used to penalize the culprits are the footages of CCTV cameras of the students who were involved in the Students’ Union election violence, statements from the college’s security guards who saw and identified them and that some of the students even called the names of their colleagues in crime.
Elizabeth Sesay further disclosed that the students were first suspended pending the investigations reiterating that they were given fair trial to defend themselves and that those in the first year of their courses were rusticated while the results of those in final year were withheld for a year to serve as deterrent to others adding that those students who cheated were found with foreign materials in examination halls for which they were thoroughly investigated and that some even confessed while others admitted after the cogent evidences were presented to them.
