The interference by the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye in the University of Calabar sexual harassment case has angered the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Florence Obi.
UNICAL is currently embroiled in a sexual harassment case between female law students and a lecturer Cyril Ndifon who is under suspension pending the out come of investigations.
But things took a twist in the case after the Minister, Uju Kennedy Ohanenye took an interest in the case. She was reported to have threatened one of the girls who claimed to have been forcibly raped by the lecture.
She was also seen in a video warning the girls not to lie: “Whoever lies in this Calabar sexual case will go to jail. I will make sure that all (guilty persons) involved in this shameful act shall be prosecuted and jailed. I am pleading with you; I want justice to be done.
“If you have complaints or anything to talk about concerning this case, head to the panel because the investigation is still ongoing. Go there and lay the complaint, but don’t lie. Because if you lie, I will make sure you are prosecuted and jailed if found guilty.”
But according to the VC Uju Kennedy Ohanenye’s intrusion is unwelcomed: “A new dimension has unfortunately reared its head in a way that has left us nonplussed with the leaked viral audio of intimidation and jail threats from the Minister of Women Affairs, Mrs Uju Kennedy, on a few girls who were bold enough to come out to testify on an alleged age-long sexual harassment of female Law students against Professor Ndifon,” Obi was quoted by Punch.
“While I do not consider it expedient to respond to the disturbing audio, I wish to generally state that the students of the Faculty of Law on their own wrote and submitted a petition and protested against the suspended Dean. And, as I know, those who have testified before the panel on both sexual harassment and other violations were not prompted by anyone.”
