VICE-CHANCELLOR of the University of Guyana, Dr. Jacob Opadeyi, has denounced a report by the online news outfit, iNews, purporting that the university head had uncovered a “corruption ring”.

According to the piece written by journalist Fareeza Haniff, Dr. Opadeyi, in response to queries made by INews, confirmed that major corruption was uncovered, and while the Vice Chancellor “did not disclose the details of the corruption, iNews understands that the audit team discovered major sales of examination papers on the campus along with the misuse of funds within the institution.”
Opadeyi called on “INEWS, and its editors, [to] act responsibly by immediately retracting its story and also issue an apology.”
According to Opadeyi, the article’s author, who identifies herself as the editor-in-chief of iNews, sought “clarification or confirmation” of reports she says iNews received from university personnel.
“I am seeking clarity from you or confirmation on the following information: 1) An audit was conducted at the University of Guyana recently by a team from UWI [the University of the West Indies]; [and] 2) As a result of the audit, major corruption was discovered within the university, including the sale of examination papers to students by several lecturers,” Haniff reportedly wrote in a July 10, 2013 email to the Vice Chancellor, adding: “I would appreciate it if you can verify or confirm this information and if this is indeed the case, then can you say what the university plans to do now in terms of tackling this very serious matter?”
Opadeyi claims that in a response e-mailed from his official university account at around 22:30 hrs on the same day he received Haniff’s query, he wrote: “Yes, UWI is conducting a Special Audit at UG. The audit will be conducted by September. We have no evidence to support the allegation of sales of examination papers.”
“This is not true,” he reportedly emphasized to Haniff, adding, “Thank you for contacting me. We can meet on Friday if you need more information.”
Opdaeyi “categorically” stated that “at no time did I engage in any formal exchange with INEWS, or its reporters, outside of a brief response via -mail”.
Based on the response he provided to Haniff, Opadeyi states that he was “most surprised” at her actual report.
In Haniff’s report yesterday headlined “VC unearths UG corruption ring, UWI report due in September”, she wrote: “A special audit team from the University of the West Indies (UWI) has unearthed a major corruption ring within the University of Guyana (UG), implicating senior functionaries and staff of the institution.”
“It is a very serious and I daresay libelous offence for the media to misappropriate information and seek to tarnish one’s reputation in the process,” the Vice Chancellor, who was appointed last year, declared, adding: “Not only are such practices unethical, but they speak to the lack of integrity in a very noble profession that must practise fair and ethical reporting.”
In a response yesterday afternoon, iNews insisted that its information was “reliable” and that it “stands by its initial article”.
Opadeyi, a Nigerian-born former professor at the University of the West Indies, expressed frustration with the recent barrage of negative media commentary on the University, calling it “contradictory and out of context based on my meetings with staff, public engagements and very best of intentions for the development of UG.”