The Polytechnic, Ibadan’s management burned more than 1,000 mobile phones worth millions of naira on Wednesday.
Our correspondent found that during the last year’s different exams at the institution, the mobile phones were confiscated from students.
On Thursday, we collected that the telephones were confiscated and subsequently destroyed to decrease examination malpractice using information and communication technology.
The mobile phones, with prices ranging from N10,000 and above, include products such as Nokia, Tecno, Samsung, and BlackBerry.
A senior lecturer and the institution’s immediate past Deputy Rector, Bayo Oyeleke, supervised the burning of the items.
Others at the event were the following: Deputy School Registrar, A. O, Ayoade, Public Relations Officer, Soladoye Adewole, Chief Security Officer, Head of Legal Unit, Ibadan, Ige Akinsola and President of the Student Union Government , Akadiri Bayonle.
Mr Oyeleke said in his address that the school authority usually warned students not to take mobile phones to exam halls, but it’s surprising that some students don’t yield in to the warning.
He said this prompted the institution’s intervention to confiscate and damage the mobile phones.
“Some students still go into the exam hall with their mobile phones, which is against the rules and regulations of the institution.”
Mr Oyeleke insisted that the burning of mobile phones after they were confiscated was carried out to serve as a deterrent to the institution’s students who wish to continue to indulge in the forbidden act.
The institution’s Public Relations Officer, Soladoye Adewole, who confirmed Thursday’s burning to journalists, said management decided to burn mobile phones so they won’t get into the wrong hands.
“Over 1,000 mobile telephones seized in the last one year were burnt yesterday. They were seized during examinations in the last one year. We have been warning our students not to take phones into examination halls,” said Mr Adewole.
“But, it will not be alright if we return them to the owners because we want to ensure sanctity of our examinations in the school. The management decided to burn the mobile telephones, it will be inappropriate if we say that we will return them to the owners. They may fall into wrong hands.
“We have been warning students not to take phones into examination halls. Any student that attempts to cheat using modern technology, like phones, will have the phone seized.
“We want cheating through the use of technology to stop. The exercise was attended by lecturers. Students leaders were there and even members of the press council of the institution were also there.”