By Adesina Soyooye
Professor Cyril Ndifon, the embattled, suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, (UNICAL), is in for more troubles and embarrassment.
The authorities of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has not only set up an investigation panel to look into sundry allegations, including se€ual harassment, lack of accountability and abuse of office made against him by female Law Students, the list approved by him and sent to Law Schools is likely to be recalled for a review.
Professor Ndifon’s trouble started last week when the students, in an unprecedented action, embarked on a massive protest against him at the Vice Chancellor’s office, asking that the Professor leave them alone as the Faculty is not a brothel, and their bodies not meant for him.
The actions against Ndifon was made public by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Florence Obi, addressed newsmen in Calabar on Monday.
Professor Obi said the Panel would be made up of a few members of staff of the University, but would include, mostly, representatives of interested bodies including UNICAL Alumni, Federation of Female Lawyers and Federal Public Complaints Commission. She noted that their involvement “speaks volumes of the Management’s understanding and willingness to partner with them to get it right.
Her words:
“Management, after observing that the Dean of the Faculty was at the Centre of all the complaints and aberrations, issued the Dean with a 10-point query to be responded to within 24 hours.
“This was to give him a good opportunity to effectively refute the allegations or state why Management should not take the allegations of the students seriously.
“When he responded, his submissions in the eyes of Management were thoroughly weak and not convincing.
“Management was left with no other option than to set up a panel to conduct investigation. It is obvious that the Dean cannot be in office while the investigation is on, hence going by the Public Service Rules, he has been placed on suspension to allow a free investigation.”
Management, she also noted, has decided with the staff “on the need for some basic changes to be effected, to avoid continuous overbearing influence and power of any Dean of Faculty of Law over the students.”
She listed the immediate actions taken so far as: “Setting up of a Committee to take charge of students’ mobilization to Law School.
“A review and possible recall of the students’ list sent to Law School. Removal from office of the two examination officers and the setting up of a ResultVetting Committee. Setting up Students’ Project Committee to assign Project supervisors to the undergraduates. Setting up of Admission Committee to review Direct Entry Admissions.
“Setting up of a Committee to update the existing Standard Operations Procedure(SOP) of the University to take care of the peculiarities of the Faculty of Law. Appointment of a new Sub-Dean. Appointment of a new interim Chairman of the Faculty’s Post Graduate School Board. Setting up a Committee to review and assign courses for the semester in compliancewith the University procedure on Quality Assurance.
“The Dean and the Sub-Dean were directed to submit all the result scripts, questions papers, marking guides and examination attendance lists for the past two sessions to the Director of Quality Assurance. The Dean (Ndifon) to refund all illegal monies extorted from the students under various sub-heads, among other decisions.”
