By Seyi Babalola
The Faculty of Law at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) has dismissed the allegations by a former Minister of Youths and Sports Development, Solomon Dalung against the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commisson (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, over the purported commercialisation of the results of 16 “special students” in the 2009/2010 session while he was the Dean.
While explaining that nothing of such ever happened in that class, or indeed any other class before or subsequent to it, to the best knowledge of the members of its Board, the Faculty said Dalung spoke as a partisan politician of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A statement by the Dean of UNIJOS Faculty of Law, Prof Francis M. Kwede, sent to journalists in Abuja, said that there was no manipulation and trading off of results of any number of final year students who had Second Class Upper Division in favour of any group of “special students” who were alleged to have undeservedly bagged the said class of degree.
According to him, since there are no facts or records to substantiate the allegation of result favouritism and the resultant victimisation as alleged, the same should thus be ignored as comments made in the heat of partisan and political rhetoric.
He said Amupitan had no integrity issues in both the Faculty and the UNIJOS at large, adding that as of fact, his tenure as Dean of the Faculty witnessed developmental strides in both academic and physical facilities and was elected severally by the Senate of the University into the Governing Council and subsequently elected as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Management of the Faculty of Law, University of Jos, Nigeria has been drawn to a viral video of a Trust TV interview with Mr. Solomon Dalung on “The ADC Leadership Crisis – An Analysis of INEC de -recognition, Implications and Way Out”, where he made some unsavoury remarks about the Faculty of Law under the leadership of its erstwhile Dean, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN, now Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission – INEC. He was the Dean of the Faculty between 2008 and 2014.
“The Management of the Faculty of Law wishes to respond to the interview as follows:
“In respect of the allegation that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN traded off the results of certain 16 students, who graduated with Second Class Upper Degrees in the LL.B Class of 2009/2010 session with a group of “special students” while he was the Dean of the Faculty, the Faculty states that nothing of the sort ever happened in that class, or indeed any other class before or subsequent to it, to the best knowledge of the members of the Board.
“The Management reiterates that there was no manipulation and trading off of results of any number of final year students who had 2:1(Second Class Upper Division) in favour of any group of “special students” who were alleged to have undeservedly bagged the said class of degree. Rather, on assumption of office as the Dean of the faculty in 2008, Professor Amupitan introduced the use of Excel Spreadsheet for the compilation of results in the Faculty as against the manual compilation, which caused a lot of delay in result processing and was fraught with arithmetical errors.
“The use of the Excel formula resulted in a more efficient way of result compilation and ensured the accuracy of the result. His effort was widely commended in the University and it enabled final year students to meet up with their Nigerian Law School schedule.
“Flowing from above, the Management wishes to state that the allegation that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN, has no integrity because of what allegedly transpired in the LL.B Class of 2009/2010 session is therefore false, baseless, and without moment, and the general public is hereby urged to ignore same.
“More so, the allegation was made in an interview situated in the heat and thicket of partisan politics and rhetoric. On the contrary, the Faculty of Law, as indeed, the University of Jos, know Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN, to have conducted himself with the highest honour, candour, and integrity while discharging his official responsibilities within the University system. As a fact, the Faculty of Law witnessed a series of academic and physical transformations during Prof. Amupitan’s tenure as Dean.
“The Faculty similarly debunks the assertion that Mr. Solomon Dalung, or any other person for that matter, had ever been victimised as a student, whether at the undergraduate or the postgraduate levels. With specific reference to Mr. Solomon Dalung, the record shows that he completed his postgraduate studies and obtained his LL.M in December 2010; it is therefore not fathomable how he sacrificed his postgraduate studies because of his activism and resultant victimisation. Mr. Dalung has never contested for and on behalf of any student the class of degree awarded before the Faculty Board.
“The Management, in conclusion, wishes to observe that Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan SAN, had no integrity issues in both the Faculty and the University of Jos at large; and as of fact, his tenure as Dean of the Faculty witnessed developmental strides in both academic and physical facilities in the Faculty. No wonder, he was elected severally by the Senate of the University of Jos into the Governing Council of the University and subsequently elected as the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Administration.
“There are no facts or records to substantiate the allegation of result favouritism and the resultant victimisation as alleged. The same should thus be ignored as comments made in the heat of partisan and political rhetoric.
“There is similarly no record whatsoever in the Faculty, indicating that Mr. Dalung ever fought for any set of students in the Faculty of Law on account of result alteration. The Faculty has therefore deem it necessary to set the record straight so that the general public is not misled.”
