…It was orchestrated to tarnish my reputation, says suspended dean
From Judex Okoro, Calabar
Barely five years after authoutirites of the University of Calabar recalled Prof. Cyril Ndifon from suspension over allegations of official misconduct, the Faculty of Law’s dean has again been suspended by the management for alleged violation of the provisions of the laws and policies of the institution.
Ndifon’s suspension was as a result a protest of the Law Students’ Association of Nigeria (LAWSAN), UNICAL branch, against alleged high-handedness and sexual harassment by the dean eight years after department of Public Prosecution exonerated Ndifon from sexual assault allegations.
About 50 students had protested with placards with various inscriptions such as “Enough of law school list manipulations,” “We are tired of sucking dicks,” and “Law girls are not bonanzas, Prof. Ndifon stop grabbing us.” They picketed the vice-chancellor’s office to lay their complaints and demanded the removal of the dean.
A year-two student who did not want her name in print claimed she has “suffered humiliation for not playing ball with the Oga at the top” and that she would stand her ground even if it meant failing the course taught by the dean.
According to her, “The dean forces us to buy law journal. Some lecturers don’t come for lectures in class and some even harass us sexually and if you fail to succumb, they fail you.”
Another female student, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “The vice-chancellor should come to our aid. We are being humiliated in the faculty and treated as if it is an offence to come and study law in UNICAL. We are pleading with the management to please remove the dean and bring in a fresh dean. I think he has overstayed as faculty dean.”
However, the leadership of year-two students dissociated itself from the protest alleging sexual harassment and calling for the removal of the dean, describing it as “charade of a protest and repugnant to fair hearing on the part of the dean.”
In an e-signed statement by LLB2B Class leadership, titled “LLB2b class on the purported protest of some of our colleagues against the dean of the faculty of law,” the leadership said: “We, the members of the LLB2B class of the Faculty of Law are very saddened at the shameful outing of some of our colleagues who boycotted the ranks of the class leadership to carry out a protest against the dean of the Faculty of Law.
“We want to state categorically that, we understand the concept of due process in channelling our challenges and do not think that approach represents the interest of the class. We want to dissociate in every sense ourselves from that charade of a protest as it is repugnant to fair hearing on the part of the dean.
“Students who went there have explained that they were cajoled to go for a meeting with the vice-chancellor at her office, only to see placards bearing false representations about the dean. Also, on the issue of law journals and sexual harassment, we haven’t had any of such discussion or complaint as a class and think this is rather a manipulation of gullible students to achieve self-serving interest.
“We want to restate our confidence in the leadership of the dean of the Faculty of Law and would explore our complaints through appropriate quarters as we have always done.”
Following students’ protest, the VC, Prof. Florence Obi, issued Ndifon a query and, perhaps, not satisfied with his response, the management subsequently suspended him for alleged violation of the provisions of the extant laws and policies of the institution.
The suspension, conveyed in a letter signed by the registrar, Mr. Gabriel Egbe, took effect from August 17, 2023. It read in part: “Please refer to our letter Ref UC/REG/DISC.45A dated August 14, 2023, on your alleged violation of the provisions of the extant laws and policies of the university and your response to the said letter, which was dated 16th August, 2023.
“The vice-chancellor has gone through your written representations and is not satisfied with your explanations. She has, therefore, directed that you should be relieved of your position as dean, Faculty of Law, and placed on suspension while the matter is refered to a panel that will be set up to investigate these allegations.
“The relief of position as dean, Faculty of Law, and suspension from official duties takes effect from August 17, 2023. You are to hand over all university property in your possession, including all official responsibilities presently handled by you to the sub-dean of the faculty before vacating office.
“You are to stay away from the university premises except while responding to invitation from the panel investigating these allegations.”
Debunking the allegation of high handedness and sexual harassment before his suspension, Ndifon said the protest was masterminded by his adversaries who have vowed to pull him down because they lost election to become the dean of the faculty.
Ndifon, who has won the faculty election twice, told newsmen that the allegations against him are baseless and cannot hold water, adding that it is an insider’s job being executed by some students who may have been tricked into participating in the protest.
Challenging the students to produce the alleged victims of sexual harassment, the dean said his colleagues who lost elections are totally out to tarnish his reputation and wondered how the students got to know that the faculty was holding a meeting with the Vice Chancellor and they decided to carry placards at that point in time to give a false representation about my person.
He disclosed that he does not teach year 2B class of students, maintaining that the protest is aimed at dragging his name to the mud even as he strives hard to reposition the faculty to meet the universities standard.
Recall that Ndifon was suspended by the management and ratified by the then governing council in a letter dated September 8, 2015, and on February 12, 2016, the university extended the suspension for gross misconduct. But in a letter with reference number UC/R.45A dated November 2, 2017, and signed by the then registrar, Mr. Moses Abang, the council recalled Ndifon from suspension
“Considering the fact that your period of suspension had elapsed, management has therefore resolved to recall you from suspension. You are hereby recalled to resume work with effect from Monday, November 6, 2017. It is implied that by this recall all matters pending in court stand withdrawn,” the letter read in part.
Ndifon was then suspended on allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by one Miss Sinem Obong Ekong Nkang, a student in the faculty. Following the allegations, an NGO, the Nigerian Feminist Forum (NFF), petitioned the Inspector-General of Police who directed for the transfer of the case of rape to Force Headquarters, Abuja. After a comprehensive investigation of the case by Force Headquarters they came up with a report of no-case to answer.
The Department of Public Prosecutions of the Federation in a letter CR:3OO/X/LEG/FHQ/ABJ/VOL.5/5O dated May 10, 2016 acquitted Ndifon, saying: “No prima facie case of rape” made against the university don and referred the matter to the Attorney General of Cross River State as the offense was committed in Cross River.
Again, a letter from the director public prosecution with Reg. No. DPP: 38/C/498/VOL absolved Ndifon of the allegation because the evidence of the complainant in the case was incoherent and partly dis-jointed, adding that “the prosecution cannot establish and sustain the charge of rape in line with the laid down burden of proof principles in criminal cases, which is always beyond reasonable doubt adding that Ndifon has been exonerated.”
