• 6 WITNESSES TESTIFY ABOUT SEXUAL HARASSMENT

• VARSITY INVITES NDIFON TO TESTIFY TODAY

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu has waded into the sexual harassment case against suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Cyril Ndifon, CITY LAWYER can authoritatively report.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Women Affairs, Mrs. Uju Kennedy Ohanenye has told CITY LAWYER that no less than 10 persons have called to threaten her over the sexual harassment scandal.

Following a two-day sitting by the probe panel set up by the university authorities, no less than six current and former students of the university as well as a UNICAL lecturer have testified that Ndifon sexually harassed them. Twenty-seven witnesses including students and lecturers have appeared before the probe panel, nearly all accusing Ndifon of sexual harassment, marginalisation or financial misfeasance. The panel has invited the embattled Law teacher to testify at 10 o’clock today.

Ohanenye told CITY LAWYER that the First Lady has ordered a thorough investigation into the allegations, adding that the First Lady has also assigned her Special Adviser on Women Affairs to follow through on the matter.

The Women Affairs Minister said she is however being “scandalized” due to her commitment to get to the root of the matter. She stated that her quest to thorughly investigate the matter was being misconstrued, adding: “How can I want the man to go free if he has committed such hideous crime” I only want the truth to prevail especially after hearing from the 3 girls that the VC sent me their numbers.

“I equally sent an official memo to acknowledge the extra one week the VC said they would (need to) round up the investigation and told her to please go on and send the report to me, Minister of Education and to the SA to First Lady on Women.

“I can never as a mother support evil on innocent children, and will take a drastic action if the man is found guilty. Let the truth prevail and let justice be done to put an end to this menace.”

Though Ohanenye told CITY LAWYER that she had also spoken with Ndifon who vowed that there are no specific sexual harassment complaints against him,

Meanwhile, the UNICAL Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Florence Banku Obi has told CITY LAWYER that the mandate of the panel remains intact. She stated that she rebuffed the minister’s directive to hands-off the probe, noting that the mandate of the panel goes beyond sexual harassment.

She said that she has approved a two-week extension requested by the panel to conclude its probe, adding: “I told the Honourable Minister that I would send her a comprehensive report. But she cannot give me a deadline to submit the report. The mandate of the panel encompasses both sexual harassment and other academic issues as raised by the protesting students. It is an internal issue of the university. When the panel submits its report, I will submit it to my supervisors. I know the Honourable Minister is interested in the sexual harassment aspect; I will present that aspect of the report to her. We have not foreclosed any aspect of the investigation.”

An online petition seen by CITY LAWYER had accused Ohanenye of tampering with some of the witnesses, even as it urged citizens to call the minister to order.

The petition reads: “Prof. Ndifon saga, Faculty of Law UNICAL: +234 803 801 xxxx. Please let’s feel free to generously call Uju Kennedy, Nigeria’s Minister of women affairs and ask her why she’s interfering in an ongoing panel of investigation to investigate sexual harassment and violation of UNICAL regulations.

“She’s calling young students who testified, intimidating them and offering favours in exchange for SILENCE.”

In an audio tape made available to CITY LAWYER, the Women Affairs Minister was alleged to have told a survivor that “If your VC makes you go and lie against somebody you will go to jail. Trust me, I personally will put you in jail. I want you to be very careful because your future is at stake.”

The minister however told CITY LAWYER that the allegation of interference is false, saying: “What I want here is justice. I do not know him. I even had to send him a text message to introduce myself when initially he didn’t pick my call.

“I did not want to take the issues on face value. Prof. Ndifon told me that nobody has accused him of rape or sexual assault. I then asked the Vice Chancellor to provide me with contacts of the alleged survivors. I spoke with three of them and none admitted that they were raped or sexually assaulted.

“When I confronted the Vice Chancellor with their testimonies, she said they were now focusing on academic fraud. I have taken up the matter with the Education Minister. Prof. Ndifon has asked us to send him a formal letter and he would come and testify. I remain unshaken. We will get to the root of all this to see that justice is done.”

CITY LAWYER recalls that the embattled Law teacher has since dragged the university to court, alleging a witch-hunt by the Vice Chancellor. He urged the court to reinstate him to his deanship position.

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