Prof Patricia Mbah, a 57-year-old lecturer at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU) in Abia State, has reacted to a statement released by the institution's registrar and secretary of the senate's council, Mrs Jacinta N. Ogwo-Agu on the school's Vice Chancellor Prof. Francis Otunta being cleared of sexual harassment allegation she made against him.
Prof. Mbah disclosed that she was among the panel constituted by the school's senate to interview Prof. Otunta before he was appointed as the Vice Chancellor of the school after Prof. Hilary Edeoga's tenure ended. She revealed that Prof. Otunta resumed duty on March 1, 2016 after being interviewed on November 5, 2015.
According to the lecturer, the VC told her he will love to work with her because of the intelligence she exhibited during the interview prior to his appointment after which he reneged. Shortly after that, she was allegedly victimized by Prof Otunta on grounds of refusing to be "his intimate friend".
Asides accusing the Vice Chancellor of sexually harassing her, Prof. Mba recounted an "insensitive" comment Prof Otunta allegedly made after she became ill. She recalled Prof. Otunta laughing and telling her to check if she did not stain the chair she sat on during a meeting with her menstrual bleeding. The continuous bleeding led to a hysterectomy surgery she underwent in 2019.
She also recounted being accused of embezzling N11m meant for the school, stealing INEC materials after being appointed as a member of an Ad-Hoc election team and being disgraced at general meetings of Deans and HODs which all "emanated from an alleged hatred best known to the Vice-Chancellor."
The harassment allegation among other things were captured in a letter addressed to the Council Chairman of the Institution on September 13, 2019.
See the documents below:
The female lecturer who debunked allegations of launching a vendetta against Prof Otunta after being disciplined according to the University's rules over an alleged misconduct, stated that he's yet to be cleared of the sexual harassment allegation.
According to her, the panel constituted by the university to investigate the allegation is yet to meet and also to interview her. On claims of absconding from her duty without due authorization, Prof Mbah produced documents which backed her claim of being granted 8 weeks leave by the medical director of the University's hospital.
See the documents below;
Prof. Mbah revealed that that her salary has not been paid for over 7 months by the University after being demoted to the rank of Associate Professor, 4 years after being a Professor.
She said;
"He has been harassing me in several ways since I refused to be his friend in a more intimate manner, I had to put in all the evidence in writing. Him saying 'I cannot go there or do this' because I refused to be friend, is that not sexual harassment? Is it until Otunta kills me that people will know he is harassing me?
I had a hysterectomy surgery which is a major surgery, rather than him permitting me to treat myself, he kept quiet. After treating myself and coming back to the school, he said I absconded without permission. I was in the University's medical clinic, the university's medical director permitted me for 8 weeks.
I came back after five weeks and I wrote a letter stating that I am back to the classroom and feeling well, Otunta still went ahead to seize my salary. I went to meet him to restore my salary, I don't know what he conjured and I sat on for like two hours. I was rushed to Madonna hospital here in Umuahia, all the medical reports are available. Otunta has harassed me beyond keeping quiet at my age. There are so many things I wouldn't have wanted to say but I can't continue dying in silence.
You can call the Ministries of Education, Women Affairs, Agriculture, ICPC and National Council of Women Societies to confirm, so who cleared Otunta? Nobody cleared Otunta, the council has not met on my case that is why that matter is going public. If the council met on my case, the issue would have been resolved and nobody will hear about it. I've been to the office of the registrar that released that statement more than 4 times, asking her that my case should be listened to. I can also share screenshots of my conversations on Whatsapp with her. A member of council constituted by the university also wrote a petition against the council".<
According to her, the panel constituted by the university to investigate the allegation is yet to meet and also to interview her. On claims of absconding from her duty without due authorization, Prof Mbah produced documents which backed her claim of being granted 8 weeks leave by the medical director of the University's hospital.
See the documents below;
Prof. Mbah revealed that that her salary has not been paid for over 7 months by the University after being demoted to the rank of Associate Professor, 4 years after being a Professor.
She said;
"He has been harassing me in several ways since I refused to be his friend in a more intimate manner, I had to put in all the evidence in writing. Him saying 'I cannot go there or do this' because I refused to be friend, is that not sexual harassment? Is it until Otunta kills me that people will know he is harassing me?
I had a hysterectomy surgery which is a major surgery, rather than him permitting me to treat myself, he kept quiet. After treating myself and coming back to the school, he said I absconded without permission. I was in the University's medical clinic, the university's medical director permitted me for 8 weeks.
I came back after five weeks and I wrote a letter stating that I am back to the classroom and feeling well, Otunta still went ahead to seize my salary. I went to meet him to restore my salary, I don't know what he conjured and I sat on for like two hours. I was rushed to Madonna hospital here in Umuahia, all the medical reports are available. Otunta has harassed me beyond keeping quiet at my age. There are so many things I wouldn't have wanted to say but I can't continue dying in silence.
You can call the Ministries of Education, Women Affairs, Agriculture, ICPC and National Council of Women Societies to confirm, so who cleared Otunta? Nobody cleared Otunta, the council has not met on my case that is why that matter is going public. If the council met on my case, the issue would have been resolved and nobody will hear about it. I've been to the office of the registrar that released that statement more than 4 times, asking her that my case should be listened to. I can also share screenshots of my conversations on Whatsapp with her. A member of council constituted by the university also wrote a petition against the council".<
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