Some female students of the University of Calabar have embarked on a protest against one Prof Cyril Ndifon, Dean of Faculty of Law, of the University.
They are accusing the lecturer of frequently harassing them sexually.
On Monday afternoon, the students were seen with placards, chanting ‘Ndifon, go! go!’
There were other inscriptions on the placard including “Ndifon Must Go!” “We’re tired of sucking dicks for marks”, “Law Girls Are Not Bonanza”, “Prof Ndifon Must Stop Grabbing our Bum Bum”.
President of the Law Students Association of Nigeria, LAWSAN, Unical branch, Comrade Benedict Otu led the students in the protest against Ndifon.
But in his reaction to the allegation, Prof Ndifon demanded to know those he had harassed sexually, accusing some elements in the school of being behind the protest.
Dismissing the allegation, he claimed that the protest by the law students was championed by some persons in the faculty who had sworn to pull him down.
“Since I defeated some persons in an election that was keenly contested, to emerge as Dean of the faculty, it hasn’t been easy. I had skipped several booby traps.
“These allegations are baseless and masterminded by my detractors who had vowed to ensure that my image is dragged through the mud just because I won the faculty elections twice,” he said.
Commenting on the placards, Ndifon noted that they had sole handwriting.
“If you look at the placards you will discover that the placards have one person’s handwriting. Again how come the protesters know that we were going to hold a meeting with the Vice Chancellor if it is not the handiwork of an insider.
“We were supposed to hold a meeting with the Vice Chancellor to enable us iron out important issues troubling us in the faculty. While the meeting was on-going, we were told that some students were outside with placards, protesting against me, demanding that I should be removed,” he said.
Ndifon alleged that the LAWSAN president deceiving some students to come to the meeting venue, only to hand them placards for protest.
“This won’t work. Colleagues of mine are bent on tarnishing my reputation just to destroy me. The question is where are the victims of the sexual harassment?” He queried.
The matter is currently being investigated by the university management.