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Extortion: College students groan as lecturers dare C’River Govt

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Despite the stern warning handed down by the Cross River State government, the College of Health Technology Calabar is still allegedly collecting unapproved levies.

About two weeks ago, the Commissioner for Health, Dr Henry  Egbe Ayuk came down hard against alleged illegal levies imposed on students at the Ogoja College of Nursing Sciences, describing the situation as an outrageous abuse of trust and a betrayal of government standards.

A viral video, widely circulated on social media, had exposed what appeared to be extortion of students, backed by no evidence of payments.

The scandal had ignited widespread outrage among parents, students, and the general public, with many calling for urgent action.

As a result, the commissioner issued a directive ordering an immediate stop to the illegal collections across all state health institutions.

He further mandated that all unjustified payments be fully refunded to the affected students without excuses.

The Health Commissioner, enraged by the revelations, announced that a full panel of inquiry would be established to unearth the depth of the rot and bring the perpetrators to book.

He had advised that any institution engaged in such shameful acts must halt it immediately and return all illegal collections to the victims.

However, findings at the College of Health Technology, Calabar, revealed that lecturers and examiners have paid no heed to the warning.

Students in both the National Diploma and Higher National Diploma, taking part in the ongoing examinations, are allegedly being compelled to individually cough out between N10,000 and N15,000 to lecturers to ‘sort’ courses, else they risk failing such courses.

More findings revealed that several others are also compelled to buy handouts or books authored by particular lecturers which, they claimed, they had already bought in previous classes.

Some of the students told DAILY POST that the extortion had continued, adding that they had complained several times to the school authorities, including heads of departments for intervention, to no avail.

The students said a few days ago, they had challenged a particular lecturer who came to exam class, insisting that they must each pay N15,000 for his course or risk failure.

“We see this as significant extortion. Many of us have paid our school fees and other official charges, like departmental fees, yet we are still burdened with compulsory and illegal fees which we can’t afford.

“In our class, we are over 50. If you multiply N15,000 by that number you will be surprised by the staggering amount somebody will go home with, an amount that is not his monthly salary.

“Of course, some of us have stamped our feet. We won’t pay.  We’ll resist intimidation and excessive extortion,” one of them said.

Another female student alleged that many of the lecturers hardly attended classes yet they would demand money to ‘sort’ their courses.

According to him, there is too much corruption in the school.

An official in the office of the provost who gave his name as Dr John denied that the school authorized such illegal extortion.

“It is not true that the school authorities have knowledge of such demands allegedly placed by some lecturers.

“The school has usually cautioned against any form of extortion.

“I am sure that such allegations will be looked into by the school”, he said.

Education

“I’m a proud father!” – Actor Van Vicker celebrates as daughter graduates with law degree

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Veteran Ghanaian actor Van Vicker is all smiles as his daughter officially bagged her LLB (Bachelor of Laws) degree.

The proud dad shared the good news on Instagram, posting a photo of himself beside his daughter in her graduation robe, beaming with joy.

“Yesterday, my daughter graduated with a Legum Baccalaureus degree (Bachelor of Laws),” he wrote.

“I am a proud father and basking in it till tomorrow.”

He praised her for staying focused and resilient despite how difficult it can be to remain committed in today’s world.

“I appreciate her success, because staying focused, determined, committed and being resilient is an arduous undertaking in recent times.”

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Education

Sabinus’ Sister Gets Called to the Nigerian Bar

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Nigerian comedian and skitmaker, Emmanuel Ejekwu, aka Sabinus, has taken to social media to celebrate a major milestone in his family, his younger sister, Hachi Ejekwu, has been called to the Nigerian Bar.

In a heartwarming and hilarious video shared on his Instagram page, Sabinus beamed with pride as he showcased his sister in her full legal regalia, exuding confidence and joy.

Photo source: Instagram

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Education

“God said hold my cup” – Unilag Law Graduate Celebrates First Class, Emerges Top 10 Nationwide

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A newly called-to-bar law graduate, Austine Orimoloye, is trending online after sharing her inspiring journey from law school dream to national recognition.

In a post shared on X, Austine announced that she not only bagged a First Class but also ranked 10th out of 7,134 candidates in Nigerian Law School results. She also emerged 2023 Best Graduating Student from the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.

“Prayed and prepared for a first class but God literally said hold my cup,” she wrote, celebrating the big win.

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