The Management of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has formally constituted a 7-man panel to investigate allegations of misconduct levelled against the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
The panel is headed by a Professor of Philosophy, Prof. Dorothy Oluwagbemi-Jacob.
Other members of the panel include: the Executive Director of Gender Development Centre, Dr. Brenda Akpan; Director of SERVICOM, Prof. Patrick Egaga; Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Tony Eyang; Representative of Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit (ACTU), Prof. Ayodeji T. Owolabi; the University Counsellor, Prof. Elizabeth Akpama, and the Deputy Registrar, Post Graduate School, Barr. Gabriel Orok who will also serve as Secretary.
Inaugurating the panel at the University Tuesday, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, said that the institution has no vested interest in the case but to pursue justice.
Prof. Obi further informed that some external bodies, having indicated interest to participate in the proceedings of the panel, have been granted observer status.
She enumerated the external bodies which will have a representative each in the panel to include Public Complaints Commission, Nigeria Police Gender Unit (D12), Federation of Women Lawyers, University of Calabar Alumni (National), ‘Malabor’ High Court and the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA – National).
In her acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Panel, Prof. Dorothy Oluwagbemi-Jacobs assured that, “against the backdrop of wide interest the matter has generated locally, nationally and internationally, members of the panel will be thorough in the investigation, fair to all parties involved and that decisions taken will be based on the truth and available facts, not sentiments.”
The Registrar of the University of Calabar, Mr. Gabriel Egbe, had in a memo to members of the panel listed a 12-point terms of reference which include: rigorous investigation of sexual harassment against the suspended Dean, to examine the extent of result manipulations, mutilations and aberration in examination conduct in the Faculty of Law from 2021 and investigations relating to the abuse of office, high- handedness, extortion and violation of the extant laws of the University by the suspended Dean.
Others include, checking the records of candidates mobilized to Law School in the past two sessions and establish if those mobilized met the requirements, the allegation of students being made to pay for matriculation numbers/clearance against Senate approved payments, Direct Entry admission abnormalities, mode of course allocations to lecturers and choice of ‘Supervisees’ and Course Reps by the suspended Dean, as well as, compliance with Senate decisions on faculty meetings.
“The panel is expected to carry out a thorough, fair and objective investigation of the allegations and make appropriate recommendations to management within two weeks,” Mr. Egbe stated.
It would be recalled that female law students of the university last week protested, with placards, alleging sexual harassment, amongst other grave allegations against the Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon.
The management of the institution thereafter placed Prof. Ndifon on suspension.
Addressing journalists on the matter at a press conference, Monday, in Calabar, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Florence Obi, said owing to the enormity of the allegations, “Management resolved, with the staff, on the need for some basic changes to be effected, to avoid continuous over bearing influence and power of any Dean of Faculty of Law over students.”
