Two lecturers of the Department of History, University of Buea (UB) have been summoned to appear before a disciplinary committee to justify unorthodox discipline meted out on two students, even as allegations of marks-selling run amok.
A press release signed by UB Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Nalova Lyonga reads: “On Friday, September 19, 2014, two members of the academic staff of the University of Buea confronted two final-year students, resulting in the failure of both students to write their re-sit examination; one of the students was even beaten physically by another lecturer, friend of Dr. Sango Martin the course master.”
The Vice-Chancellor in the release adds that “the examination was in HIS 414 (Ancient Civilisations). Although the invigilator got the students to start writing the exams, Dr. Sango came back a second time and threatened to have the students arrested by the police at which point the students left the room without writing.”
The release further reads: “His friend Enoh Richard Ayuk Ndang who beat one of the students, wrote: ‘I realised that Enock Ache, one of the students I know and familiar with, was involved. So I was shocked and threatened to beat him and asking him why did he involve himself in such a nasty issue? I raised my hand for a punch… but it was a punch as it was dramatized.” (Quoted as in original).
On why the brutal behaviour was manifested by the lecturers, the release said that “Dr. Sango Martin claimed that the students had soiled his name by claiming that he had asked them for FCFA 120,000 in order for them to pass in his course.”
The students involved in this matter are both final year students who perhaps might have graduated in December but have missed writing this examination.
This is not the first time marks-selling allegations have been made against Dr. Sango. He told The Journal that “the Vice-Chancellor Is giving the wrong version of the story.”
Sango narrated that: “…rather, it was two students who had given money to somebody (a certain Terence in Kumba) to approach me to buy two of the courses that they are owing during the re-sit exams, but the information leaked to me…I took the two students to the department and reported the matter. So many colleagues were present. I wrote a report to the Dean three days before the course was written.”
While arguing that he did not have a scuffle with the students, Sango said “On the day of the exams, there was no physical scuffle between the students and myself. The students attempted bribing me and while they were in the exam hall (Amphi 250), I asked them to stand. I went out to make a call to the Dean to come and see them. The students bolted out of Amphi 250 and escaped. I did not send the students away. These are students who are tarnishing my image. The VC is cooking up a story that is going to implicate me.” He said.
About his colleague Dr. Enoh Richard Ayuk Ndang, Sango said, “I want to say this. The reasons why Enoh gave one of them a slap is clear. We are not denying and it should be taken. That young man is his (Enoh) friend’s junior brother. He simply gave the man a slap asking him why he should get himself involved in issues of bribery and corruption. Don’t misconstrue the fact that Enoh gave the young man a slap.” Sango said he had reported several cases of attempted bribe, but the UB administration did nothing.
“That is why I said this time, my image must be cleaned,” he said. Ayuk Ndang denied allegations that he and Sango were entangled in a marks-selling web. He said the invigilator dramatized the whole issue of his beating up of one of the students, denying an earlier report that quotes him as saying that he gave one of the students a punch.
Enoh, Social Welfare Secretary of SYNES-UB believes that “once you are a member of SYNES, you are automatically a target.”
James Arrey Abangma, President of the UB Chapter of the National Union of Teachers of Higher Education (known by its French acronym as SYNES) told The Journal that their investigations have found that the marks-selling allegations are baseless, alleging “…we are suspecting that some highly placed university officials are involved in the case and they want to drag Dr. Sango (1st Vice President of SYNES) in the mud.”
An October 2, a release from SYNES-UB Chapter after a General Assembly stated that: “A resolution unanimously adopted condemning this very act of inciting the public against university lecturers on an issue the Administration has not bothered to investigate or talk to the colleagues involved. The General Assembly expressed its disappointment and loss of confidence in Dr. Nalova’s ability to manage this institution or bring unity and cohesion to a university that once enjoyed peace and collaboration with the administration.”
They wrote in a letter addressed to the Minister of Higher Education that the Vice-Chancellor has sworn to make Dr. Sango and Dr. Enoh Richard pay for the criticisms against the kind of ethnic hatred she seems to be cultivating on campus. In an earlier letter, Enoh Richard reported that one Mrs. Ngeve who is close to the Vice-Chancellor told him that he could not be proposed for appointment because he has many friends from the North West.”
