The Nation Newspaper

Tag: UNICAL

  • UNICAL and the 45 academic staff employed in 2019/2020

    UNICAL and the 45 academic staff employed in 2019/2020

    SIR: The issue of omission of our names from the revalidated waiver for 2019/2020 academic staff of University of Calabar approved by office of Head of Service of the Federation on October 10, 2022 refers.

    The waiver approved by the office of Head of Service of the federation to our former vice chancellor, Prof Zana Akpagu stipulates that a total number of 667 academic staff should be employed by the university in 2019/2020. It is interesting to note that the total number of academic staff engaged was far less than the approved number of 667

    Due to our continuous deprivation, suffering and stagnation in all phases of our lives due to our non-capturing by IPPIS, some of our colleagues approached House of Representatives for an intervention in resolving the issue.

    The House having considered the merit of the case, gave a favourable ruling that all the affected academic staff be accommodated and waiver revalidated for them since the quota given then for the employment was not exceeded, and the total numbers of the affected staff stood at 169.

    It was very shocking and mind-blowing to some of us that the revalidated waiver for the affected staff bore only 124 names and no clear cut criteria was adopted for the selection thereby excluding 45 of the affected staff. The university relied on the list and conducted screening and verification for the 124 staff on December 28, 2022.

    As a group of the omitted staff we wrote to notify the school management on January 4, 2023 about the injustice and unequal treatment meted on us because there was no justification for our omission.

    We waited several months for the university management to act on the issue or reply to our letter but to no avail; it then became abundantly clear to us that there was no interest on their part to correct this anomaly.

    In our quest to see that this issue is resolved, we approached Federal Ministry of Education and National University Commission for intervention as advised from the office of Head of Service of the Federation

    The Federal Ministry of Education after setting up several committees to consider the merits and inviting the vice chancellor to hear her on side of the story, subsequently gave an approval to the vice chancellor on April 25, 2023 to screen and confirm the status of the omitted staff and thereafter apply for a revalidated waiver to the office of Head of Service of the Federation.

    The vice chancellor, relying on the approval from the Federal Ministry of Education and the intervention from NUC, invited the affected staff for verification and screening on June 6, 2023.

    Read Also: UNICAL awards scholarship to 34 undergraduates with over 4.0 CGPA

    After the screening, the vice chancellor applied for a special waiver for the 45 staff, but while the application was yet to receive final approval, a presidential directive exempting federal institutions from obtaining waiver was issued, implying that the issue of revalidation of waiver had been cancelled. This was confirmed to our representative who monitored this case for us at the relevant ministries, departments and agencies concerned.

    As a group, we have faced stagnation, suffering, deprivation, inequality and it is heart breaking, realizing the fact that our colleagues similarly affected are now receiving their entitlement while we continue to go home empty.

    Worthy of note is that the school management actually included the 45 omitted academic staff in the nominal roll and the 2024 budget of the university. It is on the strength of the above that we are seeking intervention for urgent amelioration.

    Our appeal is for relevant authorities (Minister of Education, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff to the President) to direct our vice chancellor to put an end to our continuous suffering by processing the budget clearance since we have been captured in the 2024 budget and there is approval from ministry of education which she relied upon for our verification and screening.

    • Abu Gabriel Inaku, For the affected UNICAL academic staff.
  • Court admits two phones in evidence against suspended UNICAL professor

    Court admits two phones in evidence against suspended UNICAL professor

    A Federal High Court, Abuja, on Monday, admitted in evidence two mobile phones seized by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) from Prof. Cyril Ndifon.

    Justice James Omotosho admitted the mobile devices; an Oppo Phone and a Tecno Pova Phone with their chargers after they were tendered by the ICPC’s lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, and the application was not opposed by the defence counsel, Joe Agi, SAN.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Justice Omotosho had, on Friday, granted bail to Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), in the sum of N250 million with two sureties in the like sum.

    The judge also admitted Sunny Anyanwu, a lawyer charged alongside Mr Ndifon, to a N50 million bail with two sureties.

    NAN reports that Ndifon was, on Jan. 25, re-arraigned alongside Anyanwu as 1st and 2nd defendants on an amended four-count charge bordering on alleged sexual harassment and attempt to perverse the cause of justice.

    Anyanwu, who is one of the lawyers in the defence, was joined in the amended charge filed on Jan. 22 by the ICPC on allegation that he called one of the prosecution witnesses on her mobile telephone during the pendency of the charge against Ndifon to threatened her.

    At the resumed trial, Akponimisingha told the court that the matter was slated for continuation of hearing and two witnesses were in court.

    The 3rd prosecution witness (PW3), Mr Tani Karngong, an Exhibit Keeper with ICPC, said his duty was to receive and secure exhibits seized from suspects by the anti-corruption commission’s investigators.

    He said besides keeping exhibits, he documents and assigns exhibits to a team for forensic analysis.

    “I am the only one who has access to the exhibit room and I have hand gloves that I wear so that there will be no contamination,” he said.

    The PW3 said the two phones were received with pouches, including two documents in respect of the phones, from their investigators on Oct. 9, 2023.

    He said he also had a form with him which whoever collects an exhibit from him must sign.

    Akponimisingha sought to tender the Oppo and Tecno Phones in evidence and after the defence counsel, Agi, did not oppose the application, Justice Omotosho admitted them in evidence as Exhibits N and O respectively.

    After the phones were tendered, Justice Omotosho signed the form brought by the witness.

    Karngong was also cross-examined by the defence lawyer before he was discharged from the witness box

    Also, the 4th prosecution witness, B.E. Fungo, a Forensic and intelligence Analyst with ICPC, gave his testimony.

    Fungo, a certified digital forensic analyst, said he joined the commission in 2021.

    According To him, his job is to extract, analyse and report his findings.

    He said the mobile devices of the suspended dean was submitted by investigators to the Forensic Division of the commission.

    “Once it was received, it was assigned to my team.

    “We check the documents of the phones, which include the request for analysis pointing out what the investigation wants us to check on the phone.

    “These include the call logs, text messages, WhatsApp communications, etc.

    “It also has a consent form which include the name of the owner of the device and password of the device if it has any.

    “It also has a chain of custody of the phones; that is how the phones have moved from one person to another,” he said.

    He said they ensured that the phones were properly charged and were on flight mode to avoid distraction.

    Fungo said different extraction tools like digital camera, etc, were used in extracting information from the phones.

    Read Also: Court convicts CBT center owner over registration infraction, others

    The PW4 said after the team completed the extraction on the two phones, they produced a report and a timeline chart.

    The witness said the extractions from the phones included nude videos, pictures, text messages, etc, and they were stored in 128 gigabyte Universal Serial Bus (USB).

    The USB and the certificate of compliance were also tendered by Akponimisingha as evidence in support of their case.

    The timeline chart was displayed in the open court while the PW4 gave analysis of their findings.

    The court, however, stood down the matter to allow the ICPC put its house in order in its application to play the video evidence in open court.(NAN)

  • Alleged sexual harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL professor in Kuje Prison

    Alleged sexual harassment: Court remands suspended UNICAL professor in Kuje Prison

    A Federal High Court on Monday ordered that Prof. Cyril Ndifon, the suspended Dean of Faculty of Law, University of Calabar (UNICAL), charged with alleged sexual harassment be remanded in Kuje prison.

    Ndifon, who is being prosecuted by the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) before Justice James Omotosho, however pleaded not guilty to the four-count charge.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the ICPC, though its counsel, Ebenezer Shogunle, had filed the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/511/23 on Oct. 30, 2023 against Ndifon.

    In count one, the defendant was alleged to have, between June and September 2023, used his office and position to gratify himself by soliciting for nude photographs and videos from a year 2 diploma female student of the university through Whatsapp chats on his telephone number: 08037066222, contrary to and punishable under Section 19 of the Corrupt Practices And Other Related Offences Act, 2000.

    In count two, he was alleged to have corruptly requested for nude photographs and videos from a 400level female student of the Faculty of Law with the plan of changing her project supervisor to himself in order to guarantee favourable grades for her and offence was contrary to and punishable under Section 8(1)(a) (il) of the agency’s Act.

    in count three, he was alleged to have corruptly requested to see photographs of a 16-year-old prospective post UTME female student, as an inducement to consider her for admission into the Faculty of Law contrary to and punishable under Section 18(d) of the Act.

    Count four accused him of causing a female student to send pornographic, indecent and obscene photographs of herself to him through Whatsapp chats on his telephone number: 08037066222 between May and September 2023, contrary to and punishable under Section 24 of the Cybercrime (Prohibition & Prevention) Act, 2015.

    These, Ndifon was alleged to have committed while being a public officer charged with responsibility for the certification of students as fit in learning and character as a prerequisite for the award of Bachelor’s degree in Law and admission into the Nigeria Law School.

    After the charge was read to him, the embattled lecturer pleaded not guilty to the counts.

    Ndifon’s counsel, Okon Efut, SAN, took his bail application dated Jan. 2 and filed Jan. 3.

    Efut prayed the court to admit his client to bail, particularly on health grounds.

    Besides, he informed the court that there were four other grounds why Ndifon should be granted bail.

    Speaking from the dock, Ndifon said: “My lord, I was supposed to have an eye surgery on Glaucoma.”

    Efut told the court that it was on the basis of his health condition that the magistrate court in Calabar admitted him to bail on Oct. 27, 2023, after being in detention for about 22 days.

    He said based on the medical report, the surgery was expected to be carried out on Jan. 11.

    ICPC Lawyer, Osuobeni Akponimisingha, opposed the application for bail.

    He said on receipt of the process, the commission filed a counter affidavit dated and filed Jan. 5.

    The lawyer, who alleged that one of the counsel to Ndifon threatened the commission’s star witness on phone, said they were in possession of the call logs.

    Akponimisingha argued that one of the cardinal reasons for granting bail was the assurance that a defendant would not interfer with the case.

    He further alleged that the lawyer’s name was in the bail application filed by Efut and that he was also at the court sitting.

    Justice Omotosho then asked the lawyer to come forward.

    “What is your name?” he asked.

    “Sunny Anyanwu is my name my lord,” he replied.

    The judge then asked him if he would wish to respond to the allegation by filing affidavit of facts and he responded in affirmative.

    Anyanwu, who admitted calling Tochi Kanu on phone, said the person he called was different from the names of the four witnesses in the charge and proof of evidence.

    “Tochi Kanu called me. When she called me, I was at Federal High Court here and I said I will call you later through a message.

    “It was much hours later I remembered somebody called me and put a call through.

    “At that point, there was a network issue and I was saying hello, hello and the call was cut off.

    “And that name they (ICPC) called was not in the proof of evidence. They have four witnesses,” he said.

    When the judge asked him his interest in the matter, he said Ndifon was his lecturer and that he came as counsel to defend him or support the defence.

    Read Also: UniCal students protest against fresh hike in tuition fees

    Justice Omotosho then asked Akponimisingha the name of the person that was alleged to have been called.

    “The name is Tochi Kanu Jane,” he said.

    The judge therefore directed Anyanwu to file his affidavit of facts for the court to decide on the issue.

    But Omotosho wondered why Ndifon had not gone for the surgery since Oct. 27, 2023, when the magistrate court granted him bail.

    Akponimisingha told the court that the medical report was served on them late and they were still verifying its genuineness.

    Justice Omotosho, who ordered Ndifon to be remanded in Kuje Correctional Centre, adjourned the matter until Jan. 10 for hearing of the bail application and to enable Anyanwu filed the affidavit of facts.

    (NAN)

  • BK Foundation rewards UNICAL’s best graduating medical student

    BK Foundation rewards UNICAL’s best graduating medical student

    …fetes disabled persons in end-of-year festivity

    The BK Foundation established nineteen years ago in memory of the late Dr. Bassey Kubianagha who practised in the United States of America, has marked her end-of-year festivity with a party for over one hundred persons living with disabilities.

    The foundation also rewarded the best graduating medical student in the University of Calabar Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

    The event held at the foundation’s secretariat complex in Calabar, had the Chief Executive Officer of Davendi Finance/Ekondo Micro-finance Bank, Etieyen Asuquo Ekpenyong as chairman.

    Speaking to guests at the occasion, Etieyen Asuquo charged those who suffer any form of disability not to look down on themselves but to be cheerful over the abilities they have and the opportunities the government and the constitution of the country has provided for them.

    He noted that the BK Foundation in 19 years has focused on medical education and vocational training for disabled and traditional birth attendants among others.

    He particularly commended the wife and family of the late Dr. Bassey Kubianagha for establishing and sustaining the goals of the foundation with the annual award programmes and other activities.

    Read Also: 17 years after, lack of census has created information vacuum for Nigeria – NPC

    Etieyen Asuquo who is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the foundation, congratulated Dr. Ugboh, Grace Amune, who emerged Best Graduating Student of the University of Calabar Medical School, urging her to keep in touch with the foundation in his future endeavours, especially because most of the previous winners of the award have not looked back at the contributions of the foundation in their practice.

    The occasion also featured a dancing competition by the disabled persons in attendance as well as an exhibition of some handicrafts done by intakes of the foundation training program and courses.

    The centre coordinator of the foundation, Mr. Abasiofon John, disclosed that besides the training programmes which the BK Foundation runs, they also operate a functional library that medical students and others can take advantage of free-of-charge.

  • How to tackle building collapse, by NIA boss

    How to tackle building collapse, by NIA boss

    The newly elected President of the Nigerian Institute of Architects (NIA) Mobolaji Adeniyi has said the only way to forestall collapse and other deficiencies in building sector is for government and individuals to patronise registered architects and other professionals in the sector.

    She attributed loss of lives and valuables in building sites to unwholesome engagement of quacks in the building industry to handle projects.

    Speaking with journalists in Ibadan during her post inauguration thanksgiving and luncheon as the 30th President of NIA, Adeniyi who is the second female President of association, urged government and stakeholders to always patronise only registered architects and other professionals in the building sector. 

    She said: “We have seen a lot of buildings collapsed in Nigeria because professionals were not involved in the process leading to the implementation of such projects.

    “Architects are actually the leaders in the building industry. Any building from inception starts with the architects to the final completion. The architects design and supervise to ensure that the projects that are conceived are physically implemented.

    “We collaborate with other structural experts to ensure that buildings are constructed in such a way that it conforms with global standard.

    “But when every building has an architect, qualified engineers and all other related professionals, handling these projects, we will not be having incidents of building collapse.

    “We are going to make sure that we work closely with the government to ensure that every local, state and Federal Government engages professional architects to handle projects. I want to assure you that in Nigeria, we have qualified architects to effectively handle projects regardless of its magnitude.

    “The country doesn’t need to bring in foreign architects. There are architects trained in Nigeria and efficiently capable to handle structures that will not be prone to collapse.”

    Read Also: Anger in Rivers over cult leader 2Baba’s denial of killing DPO

    On the challenges facing the NIA, she said: “In Oyo State just like other states in the country, we don’t have enough architects in various offices, most especially in the planning departments.

    “All the 774 local governments in Nigeria must have qualified and registered architects. This is because if you don’t have architects, how can you approve the drawings that are going out.

    “We need more recognition for the architects by all tiers of government. We need more advocacy to get our architects more recognised and patronised. Every architect in Nigeria are trained and licensed to do their jobs. We have registration board that licenses architects.

    “Governments, corporate organisations and private individuals should patronise and engage architects and experts in the construction of projects and other structures.”

  • UniCal students protest against fresh hike in tuition fees

    UniCal students protest against fresh hike in tuition fees

    Academic activities were on Monday grounded at the University of Calabar, following the students’ protest against the 100 per cent hike in the institution’s tuition fees.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the university had released a new schedule of fees that would take effect in the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.

    The students, who embarked on a peaceful protest to register their dissatisfaction, barricaded the roads leading into the campus, thus preventing workers from coming in.

    The protest also caused heavy traffic jam on the roads, compelling some motorists to make a U-turn.

    The protesters, who were no fewer than 100 in number, blocked the Mary Slessor and Etta Agbor Roads.

    Many of them clutched fresh leaves, while others displayed placards with different inscriptions.

    Some of the inscriptions read: “We came to school to study not to kill our parents”, “The Vice Chancellor of UniCal went to school in her days, free of charge but today wants to kill students with crazy charges,” amongst others.

    Read Also: UNICAL raises tuition fees by 100%

    Speaking in an interview with NAN, one of protesters, Tony Erei, said they would continue the protest until the institution reversed to status quo.

    Erei said: “In the last few months, Nigerians have suffered a lot with the increase in the prices of everything, including petroleum products, without commensurate increase in the income of workers.

    “Increasing charges now is uncalled for because students and parents are still struggling to pay the last increment that was done sometime ago by the same university management.”

    Another student, Amarachi Obialor,  described the situation in the country as “sheer wickedness and insensitivity by our leaders”.

    There was heavy presence of police personnel around the protesters to ensure that the protest did not result in a breakdown of law and order on campus.

    NAN reports that with the new fee, fresh students as well as old students and the final year students for the non science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500 and N114,000, respectively.

    They are also to pay N36,500, N21,500 and N21,500, respectively as third party dues.

    Simirlarly, the fee for the science-based courses was increased to N155,000, N125,000 and N148,000, respectively for freshers, returning students and final year students.

    In the same vein, they are also to pay N38,500, N21,500 and N21,500, respectively as third party dues.

    Before the hike, an average student, depending on the department, paid N64, 050 for freshers, N52,050 for final year and N49,500 for the returning students.

    (NAN)

  • UNICAL raises tuition fees by 100%

    UNICAL raises tuition fees by 100%

    The Management of the University of Calabar (Unical) has announced increase in the university’s tuition fees for undergraduates by over 100 per cent.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the announcement was made in a statement made available to newsmen in Calabar on Monday.

    In the statement by the institution’s spokesman, Mr Effiong Eyo, it said the upward review of the fees was taken at an emergency meeting of the university’s Senate on Friday.

    The release disclosed that the implementation of the upward review takes effect from the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.

    NAN reports that with the increment, freshers, returning students and the final year students for the non science courses are expected to pay N111,000, N91,500 and N114,000 respectively.

    In addition, they are also to pay N36,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third party dues.

    Simirlarly, fees for science courses were increased to N155,000, N125,000 and N148,000 respectively for freshers, returning students and final year students.

    Read Also: No student died in weekend’s stampede at UNICAL, says varsity

    In a likewise manner, they are also to pay N38,500, N21,500 and N21,500 respectively as third party dues.

    NAN reports that before the increment, tuition fees for an average student, depending on the department, was N64, 050 for freshers, N52,050 for final year and N49,500 for the returning students.

    The management noted that the increment was necessitated by the current economic reaities and the need to maintain the academic standard which the university was known for.

    (NAN)

  • UNICAL students land in hospital after exam stampede

    UNICAL students land in hospital after exam stampede

    Twenty students of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) were yesterday rushed to the university’s teaching hospital following a stampede at an examination hall on the campus.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stampede occurred where the students were billed to write the General Studies and Communication Skills (GSS) examination, which had been postponed from Friday to Saturday.

    The GSS examination was for the 100 level students from all the faculties of the university.

    Read Also: UNICAL to host NUGA 2026

    The examination, meant to be taken in batches, saw the students rushing to secure space from the few available ones.

    NAN reports that Saturday’s GSS examination was meant to be the climax of the institution’s second semester examinations, which began on October 16.

    The university’s management has declined comment on the stampede.

  • UNICAL to host NUGA 2026

    UNICAL to host NUGA 2026

    The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Professor Florence Obi, has announced that Unical has won the hosting rights for NUGA 2026.

    She also announced the appointment of MediaVision Limited as the Sole and Exclusive Marketers for the games.

    This announcement was made by the vice chancellor during the MoU signing ceremony at the Council Chambers.

    The Vice Chancellor said the university was starting early to ensure the facilities are ready in time for the games.

    She said officials of NUGA will visit the university by the end of 2024 to inspect the facilities.

    Read Also: Footballers whose relatives were kidnapped

    She affirmed that under her management, Unical NUGA 2026 promises to be the best NUGA competition in the history of the games.

    The Founder of Media Vision Limited, Mr. Obafela Bank-Olemoh, thanked the Vice Chancellor for this opportunity. He promised thatwould contribute their quota to ensuring the unqualified success of UNICAL NUGA 2026.

    Bank-Olemoh also used this opportunity to announce the commencement of the UNICAL NUGA 2026 Mascot design competition, open to all students of the University of Calabar.

    This competition begins on Thursday November 9th, 2023, and will close on Thursday December 7th, 2023.

    The winner will receive 150,000 naira, the runner-up 100,000 naira, and the third place finisher will receive 50,000 naira.

    Mr. Bank-Olemoh outlined the criteria for the contest as follows:

    • The competition is open to only Unical students.
    • The Mascot design must be the original work of the participant.
    • Each entry must incorporate the Unical or Cross – Rivers State colors.
    • Each entry must be accompanied by a compelling story about the Mascot. Bank-Olemoh also stated that all information about the contest can be found on the UNICAL NUGA social media handles: Instagram: unicalnuga20262026, TikTok: unicalnuga, Twitter: unicalnuga, Facebook: unicalnuga2026
  • UNICAL sex scandal: Why we arrested Prof Ndifon, by DSS

    UNICAL sex scandal: Why we arrested Prof Ndifon, by DSS

    The Department of State Services (DSS) says the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) sought its collaboration to arrest the erstwhile Dean of the Faculty of Law, Professor Cyril Ndifon, involved in the University of Calabar (UNICAL) sex scandal.

    The Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications at DSS National Headquarters, Peter Afunanya, made this known in a statement on Thursday, October 5.

    According to him, the commission had disclosed the refusal of Ndifon to honour its several invitations thus his eventual arrest in Calabar, Cross River State by its operatives on October 4, based on a Court Order.

    Read Also: DSS arrests two women with 1,000 rounds of ammunition

    He said: “However, the Service, following the Commission’s request and in the spirit of interagency cooperation, supported it for a successful operation. This is to guide public understanding of the latest developments on the matter.”

    This reaction follows reports that Prof Ndifon had been abducted by gun-wielding men at his residence in the Akpabuyo local government area of Cross River state.