Sexual Harassment Allegation: UniCal Panel Submits Report

• Prof. Florence Obi, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, received the report of the investigative panel on allegations against Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of the Law Faculty
• The panel was praised for producing a thorough and objective report, and the VC emphasized its importance in achieving closure on the matter

Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, has formally received the report of the investigative panel formed to investigate allegations of impropriety levelled against Prof. Cyril Ndifon, suspended Dean of Law Faculty.

Obi, who received the report at a ceremony in her Calabar office, praised the panel for its efforts in producing a thorough and objective report in such a short period of time.

Students from the Faculty of Law, led by their president, staged a protest in the institution two months ago against Ndifon over several allegations, including sexual impropriety; an investigation panel was formed as a result.

The VC said though the 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, the management had to make an exception.

Presenting the report, the Chairman of the panel, Prof. Dorothy Jacob, said 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.