UNICAL 2019/2020 Employment: Allow The Sleeping Dog To Lie

By UNICAL VC Media Team

On Sunday 5th January, 2025, the social media community wake up to a piece written by Dr. Peter Inyali with the caption “Four Years After, UNICAL Staff Employed By The Past Admin Remain At Home”. The writer raised a number of issues which border on the alleged refusal by Prof. Florence Banku Obi, the 11th and first female Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL) to allow those who were allegedly legitimately employed “to complete their documentation and resume work”.

The writer further categorically stated that the purported ‘refusal’ is occasioned by an unprecedented “level of vindictiveness displayed by the current administration, which seems to be targeting the former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Zana Akpagu.” As wild and chimerical as these allegations are, it will be a disservice to the public if claims are not replaced with facts, sentiments with reason, and allegations with evidence. It is on this note that it is imperative to set the records straight.

In order to mislead the public, and maneuver the collective intelligence of the innocent reading audience, Dr. Inyali struggled to pitch Prof. Obi with the 13th and the 14th Governing councils, which she enjoyed a very cordial relation with the 13th Council until it was dissolved by the Visitor to the University, and the 14th Council which she still enjoys a robust relationship with. The 13th Governing Council of the University of Calabar was inaugurated on 15th July, 2021 with distinguished Gen. (Rtd.) Martin Luther Agwayi as Pro-Chancellor and Chairman. The 13th Council constituted a committee to look into the issues lurking around the 2019/2020 UNICAL employment, and make recommendations for consideration by the Council. The committee was ably headed by a respected member of the Council, Hon. Vincent Obguagu with the the Registrar as Secretary.

The said issue was brought to the attention of the Council by the Vice Chancellor.

At its meeting of Wednesday 30th November, 2022, the committee aforementioned presented its report, where it unraveled monumental irregularities in the handling of the 2019/2020 employment which is the subject matter of discussion here. With the introduction of IPPIS, approvals for employment would come from the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (HoSF). In the case at hand, the HoSF had given approval/waiver for the employment of 1000 staff for UNICAL. This was to be distributed in the ratio of 662 for teaching staff, and 338 for non-teaching staff.

At the time of assumption of office by the current Vice Chancellor on 1st December, 2020 the University had allegedly employed 2,062 staff, far in excess of what was approved by the HoSF. It is important to further note that the approval that was given by the HoSF for the non-teaching category was for 368 staff, but the past administration employed 1,694, and 543 had been payrolled. In similar disregard for approval and compliance with due process, employments were allegedly made into categories of teaching staff in massive violation of the approved templates.

The 13th Governing Council approved that the University Management through the Registrar should write to the affected persons who were carrying illegitimate University of Calabar appointment letters, in the context of the clarifications made here, to inform them that their appointment letters were issued in default of compliance with due process, and in flagrant disregard to applicable approvals.

It is really difficult to comprehend and appreciate how Dr. Inyali came by the position that “… despite the efforts of the management to get the former governing council to invalidate the appointment letters, the Chairman insisted that such recruitment happened across all universities including Northern universities. Therefore, he couldn’t in good conscience, preside over a session that would take such wicked decision against innocent people”.

In his inexplicable desperation to malign, impugn and lampoon the person of the current Vice Chancellor, Dr. Peter Inyali conjectured a rift between the Vice Chancellor and the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the 14th Governing Council when he alleged that the Council is investigating cases of ‘secret employments’ by the Vice Chancelor. This is rather shameful, lame and unprofessional. The Governing Council, through a report brought to it by the Vice Chancellor and the immediate past Chairman of the Committee of Deans of UNICAL, has embarked on a personnel audit exercise to ascertain the exact staff strength of the university for transparency and integrity.

The Council is not investigating the Vice Chancellor, the Council is rather conducting a routine personnel audit to fish out irregularities.

If the appointment letters issued by the last administration were properly issued, why were the beneficiaries unable to complete their documentation and get payrolled? If the 13th Governing Council was dissatisfied with the handling of the 2019/2020 employment in UNICAL, why did it not caution the Vice Chancellor and insist that the matter be handled otherwise? If Dr. Inyali is aware that the 14th Council is investigating the Vice Chancellor, why not wait for the outcome of the investigation, instead of stirring the hornet’s nest?

For those who can read in between the lines, given the ubiquitous references to the issue of transition made by Dr. Inyali, one can surmise where he is coming from. In doing all that we do, we owe the public a duty to propagate the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So help us, God.