Abia varsity warns staff against extorting students, selling unapproved books

Abia State University, Uturu, has threatened serious disciplinary measures against employees found guilty of extortion, poor attitude to work, the sale of books to students and negative utterances against Governor Alex Otti, among other misconducts.

In an internal memo with reference number ABSU/REG/VII/113/, dated October 12, 2026 and obtained by our correspondent on Thursday, the Acting Registrar of the university, Dr Joy Nwankwo, said the Governing Council had observed that some staff members were violating the rules and regulations governing their conditions of service.

The memo, addressed to “All Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff”, stated, “It has come to the attention of the University Governing Council that many staff of the University have decided to flout the rules and regulations governing the conditions of service of staff.”

The university listed the alleged breaches to include the direct sale of textbooks and reading materials to students despite the Senate’s position on the practice, frequent lateness to work, absenteeism without official permission and extortion of money from staff and students for routine official services.

Other misconducts listed were failure to resume duty after the expiration of approved study, sabbatical and annual leave, while continuing to receive salaries for work not done, as well as making negative comments about the university’s Visitor and management that were considered prejudicial to the institution’s interests.

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The memo also cited staff members who engaged casual workers to perform their official duties while absenting themselves from their duty posts, the use of course representatives to exploit fellow students and failure to upload examination results in line with the university’s academic regulations.

The university further prohibited the use of students to invigilate examinations and warned against other forms of misconduct that violate its code of conduct, ethics and academic regulations.

The memo stated that the Governing Council had expressed displeasure over the alleged violations and resolved to enforce disciplinary measures against offenders.

“The Council frowned at the above and decided that henceforth, serious disciplinary measures will be invoked against any employee found guilty of the aforementioned misconducts,” it added.