Sacked Ojukwu varsity lecturers deny allegations of insubordination, sexual harassment

Two lecturers of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Prof. Chike Osegbue and Comrade Emeka Nwabunnia, who were among five academic staff sacked by the university’s governing council, have rejected the allegations leveled against them.

While Osegbue, of the Political Science Department, was accused of insubordination for allegedly refusing to teach a course to Msc students allocated to him, Nwabunnia was accused of sexually exploiting students in the Microbiology department.

Osegbue was suspended for six months before the announcement of his eventual sack on Friday, while Nwabunnia was suspended for 30 months before his sack was announced.

But at a press conference on Sunday, the two lecturers refuted the allegations, while further speaking of what they refered to as the rot in the university.

Osegbue said, “I’m not aware of my sack. When I was suspended, even though it was a poorly contrived allegation, at least I got a letter of suspension, but as for sack, I’m hearing it from the media just like you. I have just concluded my six months suspension and I’m waiting for a recall.”

Tendering his reply to the query he received months back about not teaching a postgraduate course, PSC 811: Environmental Politics and Sustainable Development, allocated to him, Osegbue said he refused to teach the course because the students did not meet the criteria for sitting for examination.

According to him, the students were only admitted two weeks before exams, which he said violated the laws of the institution.

His response to the query, which he presented to journalists, read: “None of these students met the eligibility requirement, but they were nevertheless allowed to write examinations in other courses but I refused. Certificate racketeering within the institution is high.”

He stated that his problem started when he vied to be the vice chancellor of the institution and came tops against the current Vice Chancellor, Prof Kate Azuka Omenugha, who was reported to have come 5th in the interview but was picked by the visitor of the institution, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo.

“We are already in court about that because I don’t see how someone who came fifth was picked ahead of someone who came first.

“There are several petitions against the Vice Chancellor relating to fraud at EFCC and we are in court with them on that, so I will not delve into that,” he said.

Comrade Nwabunnia on the other hand told journalists that the accusation of sexual exploitation levelled against him was untrue, insisting that a video tendered as evidence against him was fabricated with AI technology.

He said in the entire department, he remained the most upright lecturer who stood against bribery and sexual exploitation.

According to him, as a former chairman of ASUU in the university, he had integrity to protect.