The management of the University of Calabar may soon recall lists of students sent to the Nigerian Law School in the last two years for proper scrutiny.
This follows strong allegations that the former dean of the Faculty of Law at the university, Prof Cyril Ndifon, suspended last week over accusations of sex scandals, had allegedly compromised the lists with favouritism for female students he reportedly slept with.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Florence Obi, mentioned this when she addressed the press over the several media reports last week about allegations that Ndifon sexually assaulted female students and did not usually follow due process, passing qualified students except those that yielded to his indecent overtures.
Female law undergraduates had publicly protested a few days ago with placards demanding that Prof Ndifon be removed over allegations of incessant sexual assaults.
In the aftermath of the scandal, the Vice Chancellor disclosed that the Faculty of Law needed to be overhauled as a result of the overwhelming allegations against the dean for his alleged highhandedness, sexual assaults, domineering attitudes, and the sidelining of other key academic staff of the faculty.
“Management resolved with the staff on the need for some basic changes to be effected in the faculty to avoid the continuous overbearing influence and power of any Dean of the Faculty of Law over the students,” she stated.
The VC also listed other measures to be taken, including the setting up of a committee to take charge of students’ mobilisation to Law School; a review and possible recall of the students’ list sent to Law School; the removal from office of the two examination officers; and the setting up of a Result Vetting Committee.
Other measures to be taken include setting up a Students’ Project Committee to assign project supervisors to the undergraduates; setting up an Admission Committee to review Direct Entry admissions; setting up a committee to update the existing Standard Operations Procedure (SOP) of the university to take care of the peculiarities of the Faculty of Law for Senate approval; and the appointment of a new sub-dean.
Also being considered are the appointment of a new interim chairman of the Faculty’s Post-Graduate School Board and the setting up of a committee to review and assign courses for the semester in compliance with the university procedure on Quality Assurance.”
The university authorities also directed the dean and the sub-dean to submit all result scripts, question papers, marking guides, and examination attendance lists for the past two sessions to the Director of Quality Assurance.
Prof Obi further ordered that a panel look into alleged extortions said to have been perpetrated by Ndifon and, if found culpable, should be made to refund all illegal monies collected from the students under various sub-heads.
