UNICAL Sex Scandal: Minister Bows To Pressure, Tenders Open Apology Over Comment

– Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye

By Bunmi Onakan

Following August 14th incident where female students of the law faculty held a peaceful rally against the varsity’s Dean, Faculty of Law, Cyril Ndifon, whom they accused of harassing them, an allegation he denied when he claimed that the protest was sponsored by lecturers in the faculty who did not like his style of leadership, although the varsity suspended him.

A professor in the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom, SinemAbasi Ekong has narrated how the embattled Dean of the Faculty of Law in the University of Calabar, Cross River State, Prof. Cyril Ndifon allegedly raped her 20-year-old daughter in his office.

Prof. Ekong said Ndifon tore her daughter’s answer script during a test and subsequently used that to trick her daughter to go to his office, where he allegedly raped her twice.

Amidst the protest from the students and comments from various Human Rights groups, Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, made a controversial statement that since a female student admitted in a leaked phone conversation with the Minister that she was not raped, it means she was not sexually harassed.

This for them meant that only rape (penetrative sexual intercourse) is the only form of sexual harassment recognised by the Minister.

They condemned her statements on the matter and demanded a public apology and retraction, else they “will spare no efforts in taking further action that may affect your (Minister’s) position”.

Her action followed an open letter from a Woman’s Rights Movement of over 500 activists, practitioners, professionals, and NGOs known as Womanifesto.

The Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, has tendered an apology to women groups over a series of statements on the alleged sex scandal at the University of Calabar.

Responding to this letter, the Minister in a press statement on Sunday said “I wish to express my sincere apologies to those who were offended by my comments and actions regarding the sexual harassment scandal at the University of Calabar. This is extremely regrettable as my intentions were sincere and aligned with my consistent advocacy for the welfare of Nigerian women and the pursuit of justice.

“I stand for all Nigerian women and I stand for justice; and it is my hope that we can work together to actualise the dream of a country where women’s rights are respected and protected, and where our daughters feel safe in institutions of learning.

Whereas the United Nations’ definition of sexual harassment is ‘sexual advances, requests for sexual favours and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, whether implicitly or explicitly’.

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, Florence Obi said that the university management would investigate the allegations but that the students would be required to provide evidence to back up their complaints.