Dr. Peter Akintunde, a lecturer at the University of Calabar is presently on suspension over allegation of intercourseual harassment of his students, an allegation he denied. He, however, gave insight into the several challenges confronting him since his suspension without pay from the institution which had made it diffi cult to care for his family and gradually turning him to a beggar as he is fast losing his sanity. He spoke exclusively with Tony Anichebe in Calabar. Excerpts:
What do you do for a living?
I am Dr Peter Akintunde, a lecturer. I have been suspended since 2006 and the University refused to pay me 50 per cent of my salary which is supposed to be paid me as a rule. I was only paid from August 2006 up to June 2010 and all efforts to address the whole thing have proven abortive. I went to court and judgement was delivered on October 25, 2010 by Justice E. M. Aderinola but the university refused to follow the order of the court and refused to even pay my salary.
The university went to appeal court after three months of delivery of the judgement and the appeal returned the case to the federal high court for another judge to try it. The trial came in December 2012 but could not be heard because the defendant (the university council), brought a motion that the defendant has no jurisdiction, that jurisdiction is in the hands of National Industrial Court. On April 26, judgement was delivered on the motion of jurisdiction brought by the university and the case was reverted to the National Industrial Court.
The university counsel was still not satisfied so we went to Appeal Court, and that is where we are now, yet the 50 per cent of my salary has been stopped since July 2010. How the university want me to survive, I don't know, what means they want me to use to survive, I don't know, but they know it is illegal because the university decree of 1979 says that any lecturer on suspension is entitled to 50 per cent of his salary until decision is taken in favour of the person. The arrears of the 50 per cent should be paid. The arrears of my earlier suspension 2005/2006 is still with the university, their excuse is that no work, no pay as if I am the one who sent myself on suspension.
(http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/man6.jpg) (http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/man6.jpg) Dr. Peter Akintunde
This is your second suspension within 10 years in the university; what led to the fi rst suspension?
The first experience of my suspension is that I refused to change grade for a woman I later learnt was the girlfriend of the former Vice Chancellor of the university. Prof. Ivara Ejimot Esu, the then Vice Chancellor. They were demanding for scripts which had been collected by the secretary of the then HOD. The irony of the whole thing is that the registrar's own demand is for the course in question while the HOD who is under the registrar who claims the university Senate mandated him to handle the matter started abusing the power and demanded for the entire script of the lady from year one to final year to appear which is never heard of in the academic environment. So it is a different thing entirely.
When I explained everything to the disciplinary committee and they said the mistake might be from the registrar; eventually when I met the committee, they said I should hand over to the dean all the scripts of the courses as demanded by the HOD to allow peace to reign. They now said I was insubordinate to the HOD and on the strength of that I was suspended for nine months from August 2005 to May 2006 when I was recalled. When I was suspended, I got my 50 per cent salary but after the suspension, the letter they gave me said no work no pay rule applies on the remaining 50 per cent. How it applies to the university decree on the matter, I don't know.
When you returned, what was your relationship with your colleagues ?
They said I don't cooperate with lecturers and students. I don't know the type of cooperation they meant. You don't expect me to cooperate with the students that are not law abiding, when they will not come to class. You have students that come from as far as Ogoja and Benue State and you know what full-time means. They will not be in class and the university said the students must satisfy 75 per cent attendance before you can give them exams. That was what I was following and they said I was too strict. Our students will not attend class and when I react they will say I am too strict. Most of the students are not interested in school; they only come to get the certificate not that they want experience. Discipline has been watered down in the university.
You alleged that your life is equally in danger.
In 2006, one lecturer alleged that I was threatening him and a panel led by Prof. Ebong of Geography Department was set up. The Prof. and two other lecturers with a lady made up the panel. We were called and interviewed. The panel indicted me unfairly. Apart from that a colleague of mine, Dr. (Mrs.) Victoria Nzeribe, whose daughter was a student when I became coordinator. She has been exploiting students professional association (NAPFAC) over sports wears, she wanted a situation where the daughter will not pay the dues other students are paying. I refused, reminding her that I have children in other higher institutions which pay everything. So, why should her own be different? She flared up and told me pointblank that she will see to it that I will be removed as coordinator. I wrote a petition reporting her to the HOD, the DVC academics but whether they called her to order or not, I don't know.
There is this lecturer in my department, even in his script, he scores students above the stipulated marks. When a score is supposed to be 20 per cent only, he will give 25 per cent, and I asked why? He said because I always score students low that was why he does that, and I reported to the HOD and he said he will intervene. The man now started threatening me that he will ensure I am dismissed from the university. After the threats, I was suspended barely a week later. They said I was too harsh but rather I am patriotic and obedient to the university and the nation. This my plight led to my father's death when he heard what I was passing through here.
What led to your second suspension?
When I emerged the coordinator of my unit, the person who was supposed to hand over to me did not do so, so I reported eventually to my HOD. When he was about to travel to Jos, he handed over the result of the unit to the HOD who returned the result to me. After a careful study, I discovered that a student, Juliet, who claimed to be sick in 2003 had passed out in 2006 with second-class upper. I went through the records and discovered that the courses that I was teaching even presently were recorded A, B for the lady and I was told that another lecturer took her on that. I never set my eyes on this lady before they brought one paper to cover up her teaching practice exercise which she never participated.
I went to those coordinating teaching practice and they said there was no such name, even the practical side, which you can't do in absentia, the then coordinator said she was given permission to do it in theory. The irony of it is that if this lady claims that she is not fit that is why she didn't do, how about two other practical courses she scored A, in physical education? Practical is a must, you don't stop at theory, that is why if you are sick or pregnant you will be given sick leave because nobody will be liable to any injury you sustain. When I reported, the DVC said I should put it into writing, which I did and a panel was set up and the irony was the fact I pointed out was watered down by the panel and finally they sent two of their members to me and advised me to accept the outcome of the panel report. I told them I will not worry if the university decides not to pursue the matter but to my greatest surprise I was not given the report but was suspended by the panel.
I was not given the report to know why I was suspended but the next thing I heard was that one Hon. Akan Ita wrote a petition against me that the way I was suspecting the wife on pregnancy showed I had ulterior motive and had something against the wife. But the girl (Akan Ita's wife) was not the only one that failed my course at that time. They were nine but I later heard that the lady was a very close friend of the coordinator, Dr. Iheanacho. Even when I was the one to supervise the lady for project, she and another lady refused to come to me for supervision but I didn't raise any eyebrow.
If I had any ulterior motive, I would have insisted that I supervise her but they went to the coordinator, Iheanahco, and finished their project there. This never bothered me. The funny aspect of the whole matter was that the petition from the Hon. Akan Ita had the same June 16th date of the other petition written by Rita Odey, the girlfriend of the former Vice Chancellor Prof. Ivara Esu while they give me that of Hon. Akan Ita to react to.
I was never given that of Rita Odey. The HOD said I was actually suspended because of Rita Odey's petition which I never saw or reacted to That shows that it was premeditated plan to send me out of my job; remember that what they claimed here was that I refused to submit the script and result to the HOD. It was one Dr. Omotola I met in Lagos that helped me take my case to the then Pro. Chancellor. It is funny that if you have problem with a lady that has close affinity with a politician here, you are finished.
How have you tried to seek redress in the face of these challenges?
Before I went to court to seek justice, I tried to talk with the then DVC, Prof. Uche of Administration and Prof. Friday Mbo for Academic. They said the matter was out of their reach. All attempts to see the then VC failed as the securitymen at his post always barred me from having access to him, saying he was busy. Later, they told me the VC did not want to see me. Somebody close to the VC met him on my behalf and he told him to direct me to write a letter, which I did but no response. When once their mind is made up, if you like write them daily, they will simply ignore you. I didn't want to go to court initially but decided to go because my name, integrity and everything was at stake. I was ejected from office after they forced it open and carted away my belongings. When you try to find out from them why these things are happening, they will say you are threatening their lives; so I went to court to seek redress.
So what is the situation at present?
The university is doing everything to frustrate my case. They want the case to be struck out. It is presently in the industrial court, my family is suffering. I have sent them back home as I can no longer cater for them. You know as a rule I can't work anywhere else since I am on suspension. My wife is not working for good 17 years. She was here and couldn't get a job. The principal of a private school she teaches earlier sacked her because, according to her, she did not want to hear any Yoruba language in the school. When I tried to intervene, it never worked. She tried to operate a business centre in the education faculty here in UNICAL; students from education who patronise her told us they suffer victimisation in the hands of other lecturers after patronising her. At a time the SUG executives started harassing her claiming she owed them this and that. I reported to the DVC, Prof. Uche, and they swept the matter under the carpet. She stopped the business too.
Part of the allegation levelled against you is that you have had forceful carnal knowledge of one of your students? What is your take on this?
You see, I went for a programme in 2001 in Lagos. I met a lady who introduced herself as coming from Cross River who said she learnt I was from Calabar. In 2006 when I returned from suspension, she came to me and told me she was now my student. I said, no problem but advised her that since she is here now, whatever we have in the past is over since she is now my student. Unfortunately, the first paper she wrote in her exams, she cheated and I caught her. They were three that I caught but people pleaded I should forgive, that if I took it up they would be dismissed. Even a reverend was involved and I overlooked. The second exam she failed, I don't even know where she got the result for her admission to the university. She failed the two courses. She claimed I was the only one she was finding difficult in the department to have her way with. Her colleagues said that was what she used to say. When she started coming up with funny ideas, I told her it would not be with me.
You mean she approached you for intercourse?
Yes. Where in particular? In my office. I am not the type that will compromise my integrity with such a girl. Now she came and said that Dr. Mrs. Nzeribe said she had passed the course, Dr. Ogunjime said she should not do those courses again and I said it is not possible that I am the one that taught the course and am still on ground. I was later told that Dr. Eka Ika was now in charge of the course and he now came to me and said Akintunde, Margaret said you are victimising her because you are befriending her. I explained everything to the man and he understood my position. I got so angry that I went to her class to openly warn her before the students. I told her that what she need was to study, read and pass and that I am not the type of person she will compromise. The matter was reported to the HOD who said I shouldn't have gone to the class. Maybe, I was wrong to do that. I told the HOD that I reacted angrily because of her blackmail against me.
But by the time you look at the three so-called petitions within the period, you will see that they were having similar tones, so one must have been engineering them from background to get rid of me. The people here hate people who are not ready to compromise. I beg public spirited public to help me call the UNICAL management to order.
National Mirror