In a significant development, the University of Calabar has suspended Professor Cyril Ndifon for the second time in nine years due to allegations of sexual harassment involving female students. The institution’s registrar, Gabriel Egbe, issued a letter on August 17, 2023, announcing the suspension in response to Ndifon’s violation of the university’s laws and policies.
This is not the first time Ndifon has faced such accusations. In 2015, he was arrested, detained, and suspended by the same university for alleged sexual assaults on female students.
Recently, female law students organized a protest on campus, demanding Ndifon’s removal. Carrying placards with powerful statements such as “Ndifon must go!” and “We’re tired of sucking dicks for marks,” the students aimed to draw attention to the alleged misconduct.
The registrar’s letter states that the suspension came after Ndifon failed to provide a satisfactory response to a previously issued query from the university management. Consequently, the Vice Chancellor took the decision to relieve Ndifon of his position as the Dean of the Faculty of Law and suspend him. The matter has been referred to a panel that will be set up to investigate the allegations against him.
Addressing the allegations, Ndifon vehemently denied them in a prior interview, suggesting that the protest orchestrated by the law students was a conspiracy by faculty members who were determined to sabotage his reputation.
“Since winning the faculty elections twice and becoming the Dean, I have faced numerous obstacles. These allegations are unfounded and concocted by my adversaries to tarnish my image,” Ndifon stated.
He also questioned the authenticity of the protest, pointing out that the placards all had the same handwriting. Ndifon further questioned how the protesters could have known about the meeting with the Vice Chancellor unless someone within the faculty had tipped them off.
Further defending himself, Ndifon accused the LAWSAN president of manipulating students into attending the meeting with the Vice Chancellor, distributing misleading placards and instructing colleagues to chant slogans disparaging his character.
Despite the allegations and the suspension, Ndifon remains resolute and challenges the integrity of the claims. “Where are the victims of sexual harassment?” he queried.
