It was a sorrowful day for two professors, Steve Tamuno and Needorn
Richard Sorle, lecturing at the Department of Economics, University of
Port Harcourt, where they were dragged before a Federal High Court, Port
Harcourt for allegedly pirating the work of an American-based Nigerian
professor.
Dailypost gathered that the two professors copied the work of
Professor Dike, an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering and
Technology, National University, Sacramento, United States, without
authorisation or acknowledgement.
In the suit filed by Prof. Dike’s lawyer, Mr. onyiye Obiaju, the Don
emphasised that the two uniport professors illegally copied his article
title “Corruption in Nigeria: Understanding and Managing the
Challenges.” Published in the Nigeria’s Eonomic Summit Group, NESG,
economic indicators and published same as and article titled Corruption
and Economic Growth: A Survey of Three Institutions in Nigeria in
Journals of Research in National Development Volume 6, June 2008 without
acknowledging him as the original author.
Justifying his claim, Dike tendered an apology letter written to him
by one of the accused professors apologising for illegally copying his
work however affirming that both profssors did not deny committing the
alleged crime.
The letter labelled annexure P6 reads in part: “I Needorn Richards S,
received your reaction to my article co-authored with Tamuno Steve
(PhD) through the Chief Editor of the journal of Research in National
Development – Kenneth U. Nnadi (PhD) alleging that our article
plagiarises your work in African Economics Analysis. “I am writing this
letter to tender my unreserved apology on my behalf and senior
colleague. This is the very first of my doing an article on a journal
publication. Though in the first submitted material, I referenced you
citing that the whole of my work was lifted directly from your idea and
earlier published work and thus referenced you properly but I assume
this was lost duritng several editing which is not an excuse. I accept
every mistake and responsibility for the omission. Please accept my
sincere apology and forgive. Thanks for your understanding, forgiveness,
and willing cooperation.”
Dike claimed that his readers do not value his work due to the
illegality committed by the two professors, hence asked the court to
order both lecturers to withdraw the papers from the public and remove
same from the website of the University of Port Harcourt as well as
award him the sum of N27 million as compensation.
The matter is scheduled for mention on the 15th January, 2013.
It would be recalled that Prof. Victor Dike, had already dragged the
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi to another
Federal High Court in Abuja over a similar issue and was adjourned to
22nd January, 2013.
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