FUNAAB fires prof, lecturer over alleged plagiarism

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, has sacked an Associate Professor, Dr. Bamgbose Titilayo, and an Assistant Lecturer, Bamigbade Adesina, over alleged plagiarism.

The FUNAAB Governing Council also demoted two other lecturers in the Department of Chemistry, Dr. Nkiko Olubunmi, and Dr. Ahmed Akinyeye, from Lecturer 1 to Lecturer 2 over the same alleged offence.

The institution’s Governing Council took the decision to sanction the errant lecturers and approve the promotion of others at its recently concluded 76th Statutory Council Meeting.

The decisions of the FUNAAB Governing Council were contained in the university’s publication, News Flash, published by the Public Relations Directorate of the Vice-Chancellor’s Office, and dated May 10, 2013.

The university also dismissed a Senior Clerical Officer, Mr. Adebisi Isaac, over alleged non-remittance of journal page charges due to the institution, while one Mrs. Banjo Omolola, an engineer, was suspended from duty without pay for three months over “conduct prejudicial to discipline and good governance.”

The council also warned and surcharged for the period of alleged absence from work two Chief Technical Assistants, Chukwu Vitus and Akinbola Oluwasina, of the Works Department, alleged to have been “engaging personally in trade and business without permission.” Twelve other lecturers were however promoted as professors, while 25 others were elevated to the position of Reader (Associate Professor) in various departments in the institution.

But FUNAAB Registrar, Matthew Ayoola, declined comments on the matter when contacted by our correspondent.

Ayoola said he was not competent to speak on the issue, adding that only the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, could comment on the matter.

“Please, speak with the Vice Chancellor. How did you get my own contact? Use the same method you have used in getting my own contact to get that of the VC. I’m a public servant; I don’t have the competence to speak to the press,” he said.

Apparently referring to the situation in the institution, Oyewole had, at a recent function, lamented the declining standard in FUNAAB and vowed to correct the anomalies. Oyewole had said, “Injustice has been done in the past. I made a statement that I’m going to bring the case before you. I have an assignment and a vision and I’m committed to that vision. I’m not going to relent on that vision but if anything crops up from behind to stop my advance movement, I will deal with it. 

“There was a council meeting just some few days ago and at that council meeting we were surprised that within seven months, we had been able to assess 37 professorial candidates and then we presented them. And I told them that the issue of somebody being assessed for professorial position for one years, two years will not happen in my time.”