Amid the ongoing probe of the suspended Cyril Ndifon, Dean of the Faculty of Law, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Obi, has approved the appointment of Dr. (Mrs.) Rose Ohiama Ugbe in an acting capacity to oversee the affairs of the department.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Registrar of the university, Mr Gabriel Egbe.
According to the statement, the appointment takes effect from Tuesday, August 22, 2023, and will subsist till a substantive dean is elected for the faculty.
The release explained that as acting Dean, Dr. Rose Ugbe will take up the responsibilities and duties associated with the office and also oversee the faculty’s academic programmes, foster a healthy relationship among staff and students, and create a positive environment for teaching and learning.
The acting dean is also expected to support faculty members in their research activities and collaborate with the university administration in ensuring full implementation and actualization of the visions of the University, the statement said.
Recall that Truth Live News had reported that some law students of the institution had Thursday, August 10, staged a protest led by their president over alleged sexual assaults by Prof. Cyril Ndifon, former Dean of the Faculty of Law.
Following investigations, Ndifon was on August 17 suspended by the institution after he responded to a query given to him by the school management.
The query followed allegations of high-handedness, improper behaviour towards female students, extortion, and unequal treatment among others.
Speaking on the issue, VC said, following the response to the query from the former Dean over the allegations leveled against him by staff and students of the faculty of law, they were left with no other option other than to set up an investigative panel.
According to her the panel, which followed the public service rules, would involve some staff of the faculty, the institution’s alumni, Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), and police among others.
“Based on the issues that were raised by the students, the management decided to meet with senior academics in the faculty and while we were having the said meeting on Aug. 14, we were informed that some students were protesting.
“We granted the students audience and they raised issues that bordered on accountability, abuse of office, extortion, sexual harassment, and many others”, she said, alleging that sexual harassment gained more prominence in the public space.
She assured the students that the allegations would be looked into but the meeting with the senior staff of the faculty that continued later revealed many other allegations not touched by the protesting students.
According to her, the management resolved with the staff of the faculty of law on the need for some basic changes to be effected in the faculty to prevent what they termed as the overbearing influence of the Dean in the faculty.
“Some of the immediate decisions we took was setting up a committee on student mobilization to law school because the students had alleged that the Dean was being selective and using female students as bait.
“We also mandated the committee to look at the list of law school students that had been sent by the former Dean and if need be, the list will be recalled.
“While we removed two examination officers from the faculty and set up a vetting committee following allegations of result manipulations, we also set up a student project committee that will be assigning projects and grading.
“This follows allegations that the former Dean was in the habit of selecting only female students as his supervisees thereby making them vulnerable,” he said.
Also, she explained that management had ordered a compilation and submission of a list of students extorted by the faculty, to be refunded following allegations of extortion of students in the faculty, among other weighty allegations.
The VC noted that the management would not fold its hands and accept ugly scenarios in the institution, both the students and staff who had alleged and the accused former Dean would be given the opportunity to defend themselves before the panel.