University Of Calabar Investigates Dean Over Allegations Of Inappropriate Harassment Of Female Law Students

By Adesina Soyooye

An unprecedented protest against the Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Calabar, Professor Cyril Ndifon, by female students of his Faculty, has forced the authorities of the University, to institute a probe into the allegations.

The female Law students, accompanied by their male colleagues, placards in hand, stormed the office of Vice Chancellor Professor Florence Obi, in protest and accused the Dean of inappropriate harassment of the female students. They said they were tired of the exploitation of their feminity by the Dean, and demanded his sack.

However, Professor Ndifon in his first reaction, denied the allegations and said the protest against him was sponsored by those who want out by deliberately soiling his hard earned clean reputation.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards displayed by the protesting students read, among others:

• “The Faculty of Law not a brothel”
• “Ndifon must go for our sanity”
• “We are tired of buying law journals”
• “We are tired of lecturers not attending classes”
• “Law girls are not your bonanza; Prof. Ndifon should stop grabbing us”

But reports quoted the embattled Professor Ndifon as saying in his defence:

“For Christ’s sake, I don’t teach Year 2B or Year one students, so I don’t know why they have chosen to drag my name into the mud.

“This was why I said earlier that the allegations were lies, cooked from the pit of hell, just to destroy a reputation that I had spent decades building”

Eyo Bassey, the University’s Spokesperson, who confirmed the protest on Tuesday, said the University management has met with the aggrieved parties and  issue a statement.

“Yesterday (Monday), the students came out with their protest, carrying placards, which you saw online bearing various inscriptions,” Bassey told The PUNCH.

“They were invited by the Vice Chancellor. The staffers of the faculty of law were invited to come and address Management as well as their Senior Faculty Staff about whatever might have been their complaints.

“They spoke and raised a lot of issues. It is not even just about sexual allegations. There are all kinds of other issues they raised and management commended them for bringing the issues to their attention.”

This is the first time female students would rise in anger and frustration against alleged inappropriate behaviour by some of their lecturers.