By Vincent Ujumadu

Awka—AUTHORITIES of the Federal Polytechnic, Oko in Anambra State, have set up an anti- corruption unit to checkmate  incidence of alleged extortion of students of the institution.

Rector of the Polytechnic, Professor Godwin Onu, who announced the setting up of the unit during the 30th matriculation ceremony of the institution, said the management had observed with dismay the increasing rate of breakdown of law and order as it concerned directive on unauthorized sales of books, handouts and high rate of exploitation of students by the lecturers.

He said: “There are increasing cases of extortion, excessive charges on text books written by the staff and in some cases, those collected from other authors and sold to our students at exorbitant prices. Students have also reported charges ranging from N1000 to N7500 before project topics are approved and this is not acceptable”.

According to him, extortion has shifted to in-course assessment since it  is no longer feasible for such people, following the introduction of Computer Base Test, CBT. He added that the management was worried and, therefore, decided to take necessary measures to stop it.

Onu expressed concern that available textbooks at the polytechnic bookshop were sold at exorbitant prices, while such books were sold cheaper in front of the polytechnic gate and other places outside the polytechnic to discourage students from buying from the bookshop.

“More disturbing is that most of the staff at the centre of these corrupt practices are busy campaigning to re-invent the old order of rots by deceiving people that they are the people in charge of the polytechnic, he said.