Buhari urged to halt Prof Essien being named Uni Uyo VC as he has victimised female students

ANTI-graft group the Civil Society Network Against Corruption (CSNAC) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to oppose the appointment of Professor Enefiok Essien as the new vice chancellor of the University of Uyo because of his past history.

 

Professor Essien has been recommended by the university's senate and governing council as the new vice chancellor but his appointment needs to be approved by President Buhari as the visitor of the university and new education minister Adamu Adamu. However, CSNAC has asked both of them to reject the appointment as Professor Essien has been indicted by a court for sexual assault and forgery.

 

In a petition sent to Mr Adamu, CSNAC, pointed out that Professor Essien had been indicted by the Court of Appeal, Calabar, Cross River State in 2005. Sending a copy of the petition to the National Universities Commission, CSNAC said it doubted the integrity of the 55-year-old professor of commercial law to head the university.

 

Olanrewaju Suraju, CSNAC's chairman, said: “A university ought to be a citadel of learning where world class citizens are produced. In other to achieve this role, it should be headed by respectable member of the society or academia with proven track record and untainted character.

 

“The personality to occupy that important office of vice chancellor must be with unimpeachable integrity. It would ridicule the change’ campaign of President Muhammadu Buhari if Professor Essien is allowed to become the vice chancellor of Uniuyo, so we will sue the Nigerian government if the minister of education fails to take action on the matter or refuses to act on our petition."

 

In the petition, it is alleged that in 1995, Professor Essien, then a senior lecturer in the faculty of law, seemingly manipulated the university system against a female law student, Linda Onyebuchi Essell who was accused of examination malpractice. Ms Esell was eventually expelled from Uniuyo, even as she alleged that she was victimised because she refused to accede to Professor Essien's love overtures.

 

Ms Essell sued the university at the Federal High Court, Calabar, which quashed her expulsion but the university appealed against the judgment. The Appeal Court, Calabar, in affirming the judgment of the lower court, said Ms Essell’s allegations of sexual harassment and forgery as contained in her affidavit were a serious indictment on Professor Essien.

 

Furthermore, the Court of Appeal held that the allegations against Professor Essien must be deemed to be true and correct since they were not challenged or contradicted by him. However, it appears that no disciplinary action was taken against the lecturer despite the court ruling against him.

 

Currently the current dean of the Faculty of Law, of the University of Uyo, Professor Essien has been named to succeed Professor Comfort Ekpo as the next vice chancellor with effect from December 1. Professor Kimse Okoko, the university's pro-chancellor had confirmed that the governing council has received a petition against Professor Essien after the selection process had ended.

 

Professor Okoko said the allegations against Professor Essien, as contained in the court judgment, were brought to the notice of the university governing council after it had concluded its work on the appointment of a new vice chancellor. He added that when the petition came, it was too late for the council to investigate the allegations against Professor Essien.