Suspension: Ojukwu Varsity Don Says He Can’t Examine Ineligible Students

Chike Osegbue, a Professor of Political Economy and Development Studies in the Department of Political Science, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), Ignariam says he cannot administer examinations to students who did not meet the criteria as stipulated in the University guidelines.

Osegbue said this in Awka while reacting to a 3-month suspension slammed on him by the Vice chancellor of the University for allegedly not teaching and examining students on courses assigned to him.

Osegbue was suspended through a letter dated Jan. 7, 2025 and signed by the Registrar, Chris U. Obi on behalf of the Vice Chancellor purportedly for refusing to teach PSC 811: Environmental Politics and Sustainable Development, a postgraduate course.

“Sequel to your response to the query issued you dated Dec. 3 2025 for not teaching PSC 811, assigned to you during the second Semester of 2024/2025, as alleged, I am directed to suspend you from the University for a period of three months, effective Jan. 8, 2026.

“You are to resume duties in the University on April 8, 2026, depending on the outcome of the investigation of the Disciplinary Committee.

“You should immediately hand over any University or Department property in your custody to the Chief Security Officer and should not be seen within or around the University while you are on this suspension without an official invitation by the Vice Chancellor,” it said.

Speaking to journalists on Sunday, Osegbue, a leading candidate in the Vice Chancellor selection process said he would not be coerced into examining students who were admitted less than one month to the exams and did not attend lectures.

He said he was available to teach the course but there were no
students registered to be taught the course during the required lecture period.

Osegbue said the students in question did not meet the requirement that postgraduate student should attain at least 75 percent lecture attendance, calculated over a minimum of nine weeks of intensive lectures.

He called on the PG Board to cancel all examinations written by students who failed to meet the eligibility criteria in the interest of the integrity of the university, public perception of academic standards and awarded certificates.

According to him, I declined to participate in the awarding of unearned grades or in the certificate racketeering practices into which COOU has unfortunately degenerated.

“The procedure that the Postgraduate (PG) Board of each department should consider applications and recommend qualified candidates for admission was not followed in admitting the students referenced in the query.

“The published timetable indicated that examinations would commence on Sep. 2 2025 and PSC 811 was scheduled for that same date but the 12 students who authored the petition against me were admitted between 28 days and eight days before examinations commenced.

“In line with the academic regulations of the PG School of COOU, none of these students met the eligibility requirement of
75 percent attendance over nine weeks of lectures, only one student attended two lectures.

“Despite their ineligibility, these students were permitted to sit for examinations in
courses other than PSC 811, contrary to Section 23.1(b)(i) which stipulates 14 weeks of lectures and two weeks of examination totalling 16 weeks per semester.

“This exemplifies the ongoing mass production
of grades and certificate racketeering that has characterized COOU over the past eight years and worsened since 2023,” he said.

Osegbue said there was an urgent need to end what he called the culture of certificate racketeering, deterioration and abuse of administrative and academic regulations within the University.

“This systemic decay becomes even clearer when viewed alongside the findings of three
separate university investigative committees formed to investigate certificate racketeering in the Faculty of Law.

“Investigations revealed that 70 students were graduated without proper
examination records, some of them had withdrawn from the programme at early stages, including from 100 level.

However, the university administration has suppressed the reports and prevented them from being sent to Council for action.

“I wish to reiterate that the students who later admitted to being coerced into signing the
petition against me
were not eligible to sit
for the first semester examinations,” he said.