Sexual Harassment: UNICAL VC Receives Investigative Panel Report
*Promises to share with ministers, NUC
Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, has formally received the report of the investigative panel set up to probe allegations of improprieties against Prof. Cyril Ndifon, suspended Dean of Law Faculty.
Receiving the report at a ceremony in her office in Calabar, Obi commended the panel for its effort towards the achievement of a thorough and objective report within a short period of time.
Two months ago, students from the Faculty of Law, led by their president, had staged a protest in the institution against Ndifon over several allegations including sexual impropriety; for this, an investigative panel was set up.
The VC said though management had not gone through the report, she believed it would be useful to the university in achieving the needed closure of the matter.
“This report will be presented to the Ministers of Education and that of Women Affairs, as well as the Executive Secretary of Nigeria Universities Commission (NUC) as delivered by the panel, nothing will be added.
“On the scale of mixed comments in the public which has trailed the reportage of the subject matter, the report of the panel would serve as the mouthpiece of the university to all.
“The committee members were carefully selected based on their offices, position and credibility, I describe them as individuals full of capacity and integrity,” she said.
Obi added that though it was unusual to have external observers for any investigation in the university due to the sensitive nature of the issues raised and the personalities involved, management had to make an exception.
Presenting the report, the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Dorothy Jacob, said the
they were sent on a fact-finding-mission and collectively, they came to present their findings.
“We went out of our way to investigate the issues point by point; we did not rely
on hearsay.
“Every finding has evidence with verification, the result was not made up or cooked. Every fact here can be verified,” she said.
She added that the work was done objectively and all stakeholders were allowed to speak their minds
