The management of Kwara State Polytechnic, Ilorin, has suspended a lecturer seen in a viral video fl0gging candidates of the Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) programme for arriving late to their ongoing examinations.
The video, which surfaced on social media on Monday, showed the lecturer administering strokes of a caπe on the palms of several candidates.
The incident sparked widespread reactions online, with many condemning the use of corporal punishment in tertiary institutions and calling for disciplinary action against the lecturer.
Reacting to the incident, the institution announced the lecturer’s suspension pending further investigation. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday in Ilorin by the Polytechnic’s spokesperson, Hajia Halimat Garba.
Part of the statement read:
“The attention of Kwara State Polytechnic management has been drawn to a viral video circulating on social media in which a lecturer is seen physically repr!manding students.
“The Management wishes to clarify that the students depicted in the video are not Polytechnic students but rather IJMB (Interim Joint Matriculation Board) candidates who arrived late for their ongoing examinations.
“While the intention for which the action was done is not yet known, we must emphasize that the approach taken was wholly inappropriate as the Polytechnic stands firmly against any form of violence or physical punishment as a means of discipline.
“We believe that education should be rooted in respect, understanding, and constructive guidance, and that there are far more effective and humane ways to instill important values in students.
“The Polytechnic Management therefore suspends the concerned lecturer from his duties henceforth, pending the outcome of the findings on this matter.
“We appreciate the concerns raised by stakeholders regarding this incident and assures the public that the matter is being taken very seriously.”
The management reaffirmed its commitment to the values and integrity for which the institution is known and stated that measures are being considered to prevent a recurrence of such incidents in the future.