Inside UniCal succession crisis

The tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, would expire in December, according to an advertisement signed by Dr Moses Abang, the registrar of the university, calling for applications from qualified candidates to succeed Epoke. At least, four professors, including the immediate past commissioner for education in the state, Professor Offiong E. Offiong, have […]

The tenure of the incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof James Epoke, would expire in December, according to an advertisement signed by Dr Moses Abang, the registrar of the university, calling for applications from qualified candidates to succeed Epoke.
 At least, four professors, including the immediate past commissioner for education in the state, Professor Offiong E. Offiong, have since begun jostling for the topmost office. And, expectedly, there have been mudslinging and accusations.
 Suspecting that Prof Epoke could use his power of incumbency to influence the choice of his successor, he has been accused of favouring a candidate from the Cross River Northern Senatorial District since he hails from the central senatorial district.
 But many eyeing the seat insist that the contest be thrown open in order for the best candidate to emerge.
 It was gathered that recently some lecturers in the Political science department have written a petition letter, calling on the VC to tender the financial reports of his entire stewardship in five years.
In the petition signed by the Head of Department of political Science, Professor S.P Agi and 12 others, sent to the vice-chancellor and copied to the deputy vice-chancellor, academics, and others, the lecturers frowned at the handling of finances at the varsity’s ICT unit, CES Department and the BPA programme. 
 “The ICT Unit, CES Accounts director have variously furnished the department with conflicting information/figures since 2013”, the petition said, adding that the BPA/CES accounts in the last four years have not been rendered.
 It also alleged that the university has been unable to pay lecturers’ honorarium since 2011/2012.
 Meanwhile, it was revealed that Epoke was arrested and detained last week by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for several hours.
 According to a source in the institution who did not want his name mentioned, the vc spent about five hours with officials of the commission.
The source said: “There have been many petitions against the vc on fund management at the school and his resolve to appoint who succeeds him when his tenure elapses in December this year has been a pain in the neck.”
The source said that some groups are threatening to have the university shut if the university council decides to undermine the federal government’s guidelines on appointment of new vc. They have cried out over corruption and lack of transparency in the running of the school, citing reports of abuse in staff recruitment.
However, the public relations officer of the school, Mr Eyo Effiong, denied the allegation on detention of the vc, saying it was unfounded, false and wicked rumour.
Speaking on the issue of succession, Eyo said it was too early to preempt the decision of the council, adding: “Council has not taken a decision on the matter of succession. The members are still meeting. All these allegations are too early.”
One of the front-runners for the position of vc, Prof Offiong Offiong, who claimed he has been slighted for expressing interest in the office, said he cannot be intimidated into pocketing his ambition.
 In an interview with a local tabloid, The Eagle, the former commissioner said: “I am waiting for the advertisement of the position by the governing council or the federal government so that I can follow the normal due process of indicating my intention to contest.”
He denied the accusation that while in office, he doctored the guidelines to favour him since he knew he would want to run for the position.
 Offiong also denied that his camp was responsible for the circulation of a document pegging 10 years as the minimum number of years’ lecturers must serve at professorial level before qualifying to become vc.
 According to him, most federal universities have pegged attainment of 10 years as one of the conditions to contest of vice chancellor.
 “I am not aware of any circular at all for now. In our university, we have many people who are above 10 years as professors,” he said.
Speaking on allegation of being invited by EFFC, he said: “This is the handiwork of mischief and blackmailers hovering within the university community.  During my tenure as commissioner for education, I moved Cross River educational sector from the scratch to the highest standard. Those trying to intimidate me with EFCC will fail because they will not find anything against me.”
 However, some senior lecturers who spoke to Daily Trust believe that there is a cabal which is bent on twisting the laid down guidelines and laws of the federal ministry of education to favour particular candidates, saying they would resist tribal sentiments in the succession process.
 One of them said that failure of the university’s authorities to follow the basic guidelines and enabling laws for the appointment of a vice chancellor may lead to serious crisis in the institution and litany of litigation.
 Findings show that one of the requirements before one can emerge as a candidate for the position is to have garnered 20 years teaching experience in a university, ten of which must be as a professor.
 Even though the purported zoning arrangement has provoked debate and anger amongst aspirants and lecturers from other senatorial districts of the state, one of the aspirants, the deputy vice chancellor (administration) of UNICAL, Prof. Zana Akpagu, cautioned that in the interest of peace and equity, the position should go to the north.
 Akpagu said: “It is an unwritten zoning agreement. It is a moral issue and those canvassing for the position to be zoned to the north are saying that in the 40 years of the university, nobody from the Cross River north has occupied the post of vice chancellor.
“The South has produced four vice chancellors, namely, Prof. Charles Effiong, Prof. Solomon Unoh, Prof. Ivara Esu and Prof. Bassey Asuquo while the central has produced two. The north has produced nothing.”
A prolific author and respected lecturer at the Institute of Public Policy and Administration (IPPA), UNICAL, Dr. Okpo Ajah, called on aspirants to maintain peace.
He advised the governing council of the university which is saddled with the responsibility of selecting vice chancellors to stick to rules and consider merit as one of the criteria for the appointment.
 A former lecturer at the university, Joe Eba, however, said that the basic guidelines stipulated by the federal ministry of education is not a law and, as such, should not be used as criteria, stating that before now they were not complied with.
He insisted that the position should move to Cross River north, disclosing that when Bassey Asuquo was appointed vice chancellor he was not up to six years as a professor and James Epoke did not possess up to 10 years either.
  “Why is it now that it is the turn of the northern senatorial district that somebody will come up with years?”
It would be recalled that lecturers, under the aegis of Cross River Northern Senatorial Zone Academics, have petitioned Professor Benedict Ayade, the governor of the state.
 The petition titled: Vice Chancellorship of the University of Calabar -Justice for the Northern Senatorial Zone”, alleged that there were underground moves to sideline eligible candidates from the northern part of the state by increasing the years of experience of eligible professor from between five and seven to 10 years.