We read a very comical and unintelligent piece from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, aimed at an attempt to exonerate Prof. Ogbonnaya Francis Otunta from allegations of sexual harassment and illegal seizure of staff salaries.

The piece though expensively advertised was very funny, watery and emanated from Prof. Ogbonnaya Otunta’s acolytes in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, wherein they said he has been exonerated from allegations of sexual harassment which has been established against the randy VC.

If not for overwhelming evidence of guilt, I wonder why a Professor and Vice Chancellor of a federal University will go ahead to spend millions of naira sponsoring such a worthless advertorial knowing fully well that the council is still on the matter and has not cleared him of any of such accusation.

To set the records straight, no known authority has cleared Prof. Otunta of any accusation of sexual harassment, gross embezzlement and mismanagement of school resources leveled against him, on which he is at the moment facing trial, it is also noteworthy that the ICPC is already prosecuting him over allegations of fraud and embezzlement and the matter is scheduled to be heard in the high court holden at Umuahia on march.
It is on record that the governing board of the university is yet to give verdict on the allegations of sexual harassment and illegal seizure of salaries leveled against Prof. Otunta by Prof. Mrs. Etuna Mbah. Our investigations revealed that the Nigerian Universities Commission, the regulatory body of all the Universities in the country has not washed the morally deficient Professor Otunta clean of the grievous offences of sexual harassment and illegal seizure that is in their table at the moment.

It is public knowledge that the matter is still subsisting in the National Industrial Court Owerri and the court has not dispensed of the matter to either clear or pronounce Otunta guilty of the allegations.

Records also show that the matter was reported to the ministry of education where the minister of state for education Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba has tried to resolve the matter and had ordered Otunta to pay Prof. Mrs. Mbah her due entitlements.

While we are not bothered about the mission of self-entertainment and self-fulfilled lies by Otunta and his minions, it is also very important that the records will be set straight.

Otunta and his group of friends would have been patient for the authorities saddled with the responsibility of taking care of such issues who are already handling the matter to come out with their verdict before advertising their lies. Is It therefore not a sign of guilt and public deceit for Otunta and his disciples to have gone ahead to exonerate the morally deficient Professor of crimes already being handled by the court and other competent authorities when they are still to come out with their pronouncements.

Is it not embarrassing that from University of Benin, Federal Polytechnic Uwana, Afikpo and presently Michael Okpara University all you read and hear about Prof. Otunta are allegations of Sexual harassment, corruption and fraud?

It is evidential and highly regrettable that Prof. Otunta has mismanaged and ran down the once robust institution he inherited, all that exists in MOUAU today are decayed infrastructure and reduced students population courtesy of his inability to expand on his predecessors’ achievements or even create new windows of improvement.

Our investigations revealed that Prof. Otunta has compromised the Council Chairman and has stopped him from diligently carrying out investigation on most of the allegations as demanded, We are also aware of how Prof. Otunta cajoled the school senate into summoning an emergency meeting on Sunday 2nd February through Monday 3rd February with the preconceived agenda of clearing him of those allegation and forward same to the governing council for confirmation.

Prof. Otunta has openly boasted about being untouchable and that he can do anything including victimizing anyone who refuses to yield to his wishes and go scot free because he is under the protective umbrella of Dr. Ogbonnaya Onuh, the minister of Science and Technology.
The randy Professor was overheard saying that all the cases established against him will not see the light of the day because there is a godfather watching over him in the person of Dr. Onuh. It then becomes more worrisome that a person of Dr. Onu’s standing will watch a randy professor mess with his reputation.

The question we will want Prof. Otunta and his confused friends to answer is “Which authority or committee cleared him of the allegations of sexual harassment leveled against him”?

Until Prof. Ogbonnaya Francis Otunta attempts an answer to the above poser it will remain unjustified for Prof. Otunta to continue to function as the Vice Chancellor of the institution pending the determination of all the allegations heaped on him which bothers on corruption, sexual harassment and intimidation, abuse of power etc. it therefore behoves on the government and the school council to move for his stepping aside in order not to suppress justice as he is doing at the moment taking advantages of his influence and the huge resources available to him from the schools coffers as a sitting Vice Chancellor.

Comrade Uche Aguoru
Secretary
Concerned Ikwuano\Umuahia Citizens Initiative