Connect with us

Metro

Senegal jails teachers

A teacher in Senegal has been given a five-year prison sentence and another has been fined $32,000 (£24,300) for selling exam papers

Published

on

A teacher in Senegal has been given a five-year prison sentence and another has been fined $32,000 (£24,300) for selling exam papers.

French, English, history and geography baccalaureate tests had to be scrapped last year after the question sheets circulated on social media and WhatsApp.

Several other teachers and dozens of pupils have also been punished.

Their sentences range from two-month suspended terms to two years in jail.

The headmaster of Lycée de Kahone in Senegal’s capital city, Dakar, admitted selling exam papers but said he was not motivated by the money.

“I wanted to help someone vulnerable who was struggling to get their baccalaureate,” Mamadou Djibril Dia is quoted by news site La Vie Senegalaise as telling Dakar’s Correctional Court.

“[She] asked me to help her because she had already failed twice… If I had wanted to make money I would have sold the tests to wealthier people,” he added.

Read Also: Rwanda battles chronic malnutrition in 16% of children

In addition to his five-year prison sentence, Dia was fined 500,000 CFA francs ($886; £676).

Teachers from at least two secondary schools have also been sentenced for “criminal conspiracy, fraud and fraudulently obtaining undue material benefits”.
The heaviest of these was a fine of $32,000 and a two-year prison sentence handed to French teacher Abdoulaye Ndour of Lycée Yalla Suren.

Senegalese news site Le Soleil says the court heard evidence that Ndour had placed $12,000 of proceeds from exam paper sales in his bank account.
A total of 32 pupils received suspended sentences for their involvement, ranging from six months to two years in jail.

“We were shocked by the magnitude of the fraud,” said Saourou Sène, of Senegal’s national union of middle and secondary school teachers (SAEMS).

“This verdict should serve as a lesson to anyone who might be tempted to sabotage or scuttle the baccalaureate in Senegal.”

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Metro

‘Rights must go with responsibilities,’ traditional leader cautions on use of social media

Published

on

Mansa, Luapula Province: Annette Katema, the Head Woman of Chitumbi Village in Mansa District, voices concerns about the detrimental effects of irresponsible social media usage.

In a recent interview with Zambia Monitor, Katema argued that social media platforms were contributing to delinquency among the youth, particularly platforms like WhatsApp, TikTok, and Facebook.

“Children are being exposed to inappropriate content on WhatsApp, which is harmful to their upbringing. Social media platforms are fostering moral decay,” remarked Head Woman Chitumbi.

She stated that this trend undermined the cultural values that were essential for societal cohesion.

Katema expressed reservations about the prevalence of nudity and offensive language on social media, calling for stricter moderation.

She advocated for proactive measures to steer young people away from harmful online content, suggesting the revitalization of traditional recreational activities like playhouses and sports.

“Instead of solely relying on punitive measures, let’s invest in creating positive alternatives to counter the allure of social media,” Katema proposed.

She urged the youth to uphold traditional values alongside their digital rights, stating the importance of responsible behavior online.

“We should not lose respect in the name of digital rights because rights should go with responsibilities,” the traditional leader said.

This story is sponsored content from Zambia Monitor’s Project Aliyense.

Continue Reading

Metro

President Tinubu finally returns to Nigeria amid speculations over his absence

Published

on

After spending the last two weeks out of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has finally returned to the country.

Tinubu, who returned to Nigeria on Wednesday morning, had departed the country two weeks ago, on April 23, for The Netherlands for a three-day official visit, honouring an invitation from the Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte.

While in the European country, Tinubu participated in the Nigerian-Dutch Business and Investment Forum, which brought together heads of conglomerates and organisations in both countries.

After his engagements in The Netherlands, Tinubu, according to his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, proceeded to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to attend a World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development which held between April 28–29.

However, after the summit, the president did not return to the country as he was said to have proceeded to London for a private visit which gave room to speculations over his health.

The Nigerian Presidency did not also help matters as there was no official statement on the President’s engagements, nor were they willing to douse the tension created by his absence, leading to Nigerians raising posers with the hashtag #WhereisTinubu.

In a tweet on Tuesday evening, the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, had revealed that Tinubu would be back in the country on Wednesday.

“President Bola Tinubu, along with his aides, will return to Nigeria tomorrow from Europe,” he had written.

The recent foreign trip was Tinubu’s 20th since assuming office on May 29, 2023, effectively logging 96 days abroad, which has made him one of Africa’s most globe-trotting leaders.

In his less than one year in office, President Tinubu has visited Paris, France (thrice); London, the United Kingdom (twice); Bissau, Guinea-Bissau (twice); Nairobi, Kenya; Porto Norvo, Benin Republic, New Delhi, India.

He has also taken a trip to Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates; New York, the United States of America; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (twice); Berlin, Germany; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Dakar, Senegal; Doha, Qatar; and The Hague, The Netherlands.

Continue Reading

EDITOR’S PICK

Sports9 hours ago

Fifa honours Mercy Akide, the first African woman to play professional football in the USA

World football governing body, FIFA, has poured encomiums on former Super Falcons star, Mercy Akide-Udoh, who is on record as...

Metro10 hours ago

‘Rights must go with responsibilities,’ traditional leader cautions on use of social media

Mansa, Luapula Province: Annette Katema, the Head Woman of Chitumbi Village in Mansa District, voices concerns about the detrimental effects...

Tech11 hours ago

Job losses loom as Microsoft set to shut down Lagos tech centre

An estimated 500 jobs are at risk following the decision of United States-based multinational technology giant, Microsoft, to close down...

VenturesNow14 hours ago

Nigeria received $1bn tax income from Shell in 2023

Shell Nigeria, a multinational oil company, claims that through the operations of Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited and...

Metro14 hours ago

President Tinubu finally returns to Nigeria amid speculations over his absence

After spending the last two weeks out of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has finally returned to the country. Tinubu, who...

VenturesNow1 day ago

Zimbabwe’s new gold-backed currency now official unit of exchange

Zimbabwe’s Treasury says that the newly introduced gold-backed currency is the official unit of exchange for transactions. It also stated...

Musings From Abroad1 day ago

Binance accuses Nigeria of setting dangerous precedent with detention of its executives

After its executives were invited to Nigeria and subsequently arrested as part of a crackdown on cryptocurrencies, the CEO of...

Uncategorized1 day ago

Namibia to receive $138.5 million W’Bank loan

The World Bank has announced that it has granted a $138.5 million loan to assist Namibia in strengthening its transmission...

Tech1 day ago

Nigeria to ban naira from crypto trading platforms

The Securities and Exchange Commission of Nigeria plans to delist the country’s currency, Naira, from all peer-to-peer cryptocurrency platforms to...

Strictly Personal1 day ago

In 64 years, how has IDA reduced poverty in Africa? By Tee Ngugi

The name of the organisation is as opaque as a name can get: World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA). I...

Trending