UNICAL inaugurates c’ttee to investigate employment racketeering

Prof. Florence Obi, Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar (UNICAL), has inaugurated a committee to investigate the 2019/2020 employment in the institution.

The employment was carried out during the tenure of immediate past Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu.

Obi, who inaugurated the committee on Monday in Calabar with Prof. Benjamin Inyang as Chairman, urged them to review the status of approval given for the employment.

The committee is also to review the certificates presented by the applicants and many others.

According to her, the committee became necessary following the detection of 31 fake employment letters by the Police Command in Cross River.

She explained that some persons who had gone to the police to complain of non-payment of salaries tendered their employment letters as evidence but it turned out to be fake.

“When we received a memo from the police command in the state attaching some employment letters from persons who claim they were not receiving salaries.

“We found out after due investigation that they were issued fake letters by a racketeering syndicate.

“We have set up this committee with a mandate to review the employment that was carried out between 2019/2020 and to ascertain if due process was followed and the credentials presented by the applicants,” she said.

The VC also inaugurated the Peace and Arbitration Committee with a mandate to mediate with the institution’s host communities toward settling all disputes outside the court.

She said that the university had many pending cases in court, hence, it was important to seek alternative dispute resolution through dialogue.

The VC also charged the committee to also look into petitions written by staff for alleged injustice and unjust punishment.

She urged them to exhaust all avenues during their deliberations and investigation before making recommendations to management for final decision.

Obi also inaugurated the Board of Centre for General Studies and the Board of UNICAL International Demonstration Primary and Secondary School.

Speaking on behalf of the Committees and Board members, Dr Theresa Akpama of the Secondary School Board, gave the assurance that they would give in their best in their respective assigned duties.

It was reported that Obi assumed office as the 11th substantive VC of the institution on Dec. 1, 2020 after the expiration of the tenure of Akpagu on Nov. 30, 2020.