23 STUDENTS DISMISSED - FOR USING FAKE RESULTS FOR ADMISSION (PAGE 46, JUNE 1, 2011)

TWENTY-THREE past and present students of the Tamale Polytechnic (T-Poly) have been dismissed by the school’s authorities after it was revealed that these students had gained admission with fake result slips.
Whiles the past students would not be awarded their certificates, although they had completed their studies, the present students have been withdrawn from the polytechnic.
The Public Relations Officer of the polytechnic, Mr Mohammed Aziz, who disclosed this to the Daily Graphic, said the dismissals, though harsh, was the appropriate punishment for such offences, “because these students did not merit their status.”
He said the polytechnic had come to this decision following series of verification from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other examination bodies, which all revealed contrary.
He also mentioned that it took so long to verify some of the documentations because the process was cumbersome, due to the pressure on the institutions verifying the documents.
Seven of the dismissed students were studying for a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Secretaryship and Management Studies, whiles two groups of six were offering HND Accountancy and Marketing, respectively.
The rest were pursuing an HND in Hotel, Catering and Institutional Management, Statistics and Mechanical Engineering.
The PRO indicated that the records of some of the affected students showed that some of them were admitted during the 2006-2007 academic year and had therefore completed their studies.
“As a result, the polytechnic has informed the National Board for Professional and Technical Examination (NABTEX) not to award certificates to any of these culprits,” he stated.
Mr Aziz said the polytechnic had resolved to publish the names of the affected students to serve as a deterrent to others who might be contemplating doing so.
Meanwhile, the polytechnic is currently verifying the results of students who have been offered admission into the first year and the PRO insists that students who are found to possess fake documentations would suffer the same fate as their predecessors.
“Our polytechnic is a serious one and therefore we cannot compromise on standards, which are the guiding principles for providing quality education,” he noted, adding that relaxing the rules could dent the credibility of the polytechnic.