Clash of interests rock University of Calabar

It started as a commando exercise in the early hours of Monday, August 15, 2016 when students of the Institution were just finding their way into the campus.

Unknown to them, some administrative staff have prepared to stage a protest to complain about the highhandedness of the Bursar. Minutes after they entered the campus, pandemonium broke lose as thousands of the workers chanted war songs and waiving placards with various inscriptions.

Few hours later, vehicles loaded with suspected thugs took over the proceedings as the administrative workers and the security took to their heels.

Students scrambled for safety while television Camera man, Charles Ekpe and few others could not get away enough: they were beaten to pulp and camera was destroyed.

An eye witness Emmanuel Effiong told our correspondent that the clash was between the supporters of the Vice Chancellor, Prof Zana Akpagu and Bursar, Peter Agi. He said that the VC reneged from the gentleman agreement between him and the bursar and added that the duo had earlier agreed that the VC should employ about 40 persons but ended up employing over 200.

This action was said to have affected the cash flow of the workers, making it impossible for both workers and contractors to be paid. “It was a multiple of problem” Effiong lamented, stating, that the mass protests became bloody when the protesters and some thugs hired by some of the principal staff of the University attacked each everyone at sight, including journalists.”

Hear him again, “The crisis started when the management of the institution led by a senior management staff (name withheld), attempted to remove the institution’s Bursar, Mr. Peter Agi from office. The Vice Chancellor, Prof Zana Akpagu, attempted to remove the Bursar, Mr Agi from office following complaints by some members of the staff over what they described as his ‘high handedness.”

Our correspondent who monitored the protest saw some students protesting against the alleged planned removal of the, but in an apparent move to counter this, another group led by one Godwin Inyam fought back seriously.

Inyam was said to have been on the side of the University’s workers against the bursar.  According to a worker who gave his name as Bassey Etim, most of the workers were not happy with the bursar’s conduct for failing to pay them their allowances and other entitlements lately.

He alleged that the office of the bursar, on several occasions, unilaterally slashed the worker’s salary without recourse to the VC, a development which most of the management staff frowned at. Etim who was obviously in support of the management’s decision to remove the bursar, described Agi’s conduct as the height of insubordination. He alleged that the Bursar went to induce some students to protest on campus; thereby disrupting academic activities.

“The bursar was accused of, among others, insubordination, not paying staff allowances; that’s the major cause of the problem and for the late payment and slicing of workers’ salaries. He has not being paying workers salary regularly. For over four months now, we have not been paid 100% salary”

“All of these are some of the reasons why the VC wants to remove him, he went and hired thugs and alongside some students to resist his removal. He just blindfolded the SUG EXCO members and carried them along.”  Meanwhile, in another group led by some lecturers in the university have accused the VC of witch-hunting the bursar after he (VC) reneged on a pack made by the duo, upon the later assumption of office as the institution’s Vice Chancellor.

The lecturer, who did not disclose his identity, said since the VC was unable to remove the Bursar using the instrumentality of ASUU, he now resorted to the use of non-academic staff; through a protest against the bursar. He alleged that when the VC came on board, he and the bursar had an agreement to give the VC an employment slot of not less than 40 applicants, but somewhere along the line, the VC reneged on it and brought on board close to two hundred persons, thereby over stretching the institution’s finances.

Arguably, less than twenty four hours after the bloody clash between the various factions, Students, Administrative Staff, other unidentified people and hired thugs in the University of Calabar, the President of Student Union Government (SUG) has been suspended by the Dean of Students Affairs of the University.

Interestingly, security personnel in the University have overpowered some of the hoodlums, arrested them and impounded vehicles used in conveying the suspected thugs to the University.

The Concerned Staff of the University in a Press statement signed by Anthony Ukpong, said in part: “For the avoidance of all doubts, the crisis was precipitated by a spat between a senior staff of the University and the Bursar over non-payment of claims and entitlements. The Bursar’s intransigence caught the attention of other staff of the University who carried out a peaceful protest against the Bursar.

“The protest was a spontaneous boil over against the Bursar over alleged high handiness, frauds, selective payment of contractors, discriminatory imprest payments, refusal to pay staff honoraria and a host of other grievances. The Bursar reacted by hiring thugs and secret cultists from town to disrupt the peaceful protests.”

Ukpong alleged that in the wake of the fiasco, the Bursar induced the SUG President and some miscreant non-students who attempted to stage a counter protest but were summarily rounded up by University staff and security personnel.

“The other EXCO members of the SUG promptly disassociated themselves from the SUG’s escapade and the SUG President was duly suspended by the Dean of Students Affairs”

The group said that the attitude of the Bursar has created so much tension and restiveness in the system and severely truncated the progress of the Administration.

The recent activities of the Bursar brought the tension to a climax. When our correspondent visited the office of the Bursar, he was not in the office, The Daily Times also visited his house at Bishop Monagh but all efforts proved abortive.  It is unclear how the crisis would be resolved, but stakeholders advise a speedy peace so that academic activities will not be disrupted.