For
most Nigerians, President Muhammedu Buhari’s (PMB) mantra of “change” in
attitudes and behavioral dispositions in private homes, offices and elsewhere
is a mere slogan and more like a sound of distant echoes. Those who benefit
immensely from the old, corrupt order of handling official business in Nigeria
are most stoutly opposed to this #ChangeBeginsWithMe.
Professor
Zana Akpagu the Vice Chancellor (VC) of University of Calabar (UniCal) seemed
caught up in this web of oddities in his dogged attempts to run the institution
transparently for positive results. Since his assumption to office last year,
his desire to instill financial discipline, transparency and accountability in
the administration of the varsity instantly and expectedly pitched him against
the university Bursar, Mr. Peter Agi.
It
is clear that Agi who had operated as a bursar in the university for years was
perceptively too glued to the old “smart” ways of milking
government establishments and could not condone preachments to discard such
backward habits. So, campaigns for financial sanity and the aversion for
official laxity crusaded by Prof. Akpagu berthed at the ex-bursar’s doorstep
and the only natural option was to frustrate and resist it.
But
like a lone sailor on the high sea, Agi’s resistance to “change” also eclipsed
any sympathy for him from the disparate segments of the university community
which he had administered like an emperor.
When
Agi’s unholy interface with the VC became an open conflict, the
university management first suspended him and eventually commuted the
suspension to termination of appointment after an inquest into his official
dealings. And of all groups within the university environment, it was a segment
of students that Agi, who was accused of high-handedness, negligence,
impersonation and other acts of malfeasance, hired to stage a protest in his
support.
But
the ex-bursar got it all wrong. His rented supporters were simultaneously and
massively countered by another set of students genuinely convinced about the
accusations on him. And almost all workers in the varsity also poured out in
numbers to give fillip to the anti-Agi protests, and register their resentment.
Not
satisfied, embattled Agi approached the National Industrial Court sitting in
Calabar to challenge his suspension and eventual sack by the institution.
Justice Nneka M. Esowe dismissed Agi’s suit as premature, following his
refusal to comply with the internal dispute resolution mechanisms as spelt out
by University of Calabar Law no. 80 of 1979.
By
implication, just like there is no hiding place for a bad soul, Agi lost both
head and tail. The point must not be missed that the ex-bursar immersed himself
into the mess because of greed and haughtiness serviced by impunity. When the
heat became too much for him to bear, he resorted to the tricks of blackmail
and counter-accusations against his superior officer and Vice Chancellor
of the institution, Prof. Akpagu.
But
till date, the ex-bursar has not as much as convinced even a student to back
him anymore. Even those he rented with money have shunned and deserted him.
He
has dumped himself in a circle as the court has directed him to face the
internal conflict resolution mechanism of the university. He had earlier turned
down appearance before a panel set up by the university management to clear
himself over allegations of fraud and embezzlement of the university funds
under the pretext that the case was in court.
Curiously
though, why should Mr. Peter Agi, a principal officer of the university,
who handles a sensitive duty, such as the administration of the university
finances, be so ignorant or chose to ignore the varsity’s internal laws which
is the first point of adjudication over an internal matter, but preferred
to rush to court?
As
testimony of a man caged by his own traps, Agi approached two court of
concurrent jurisdiction over the same matter. He took his case to the National
Industrial Court, Calabar and also approached the same court in Uyo. What was
the intention of stampeding the courts with the same case? It confirms the
actions of a guilty mind, which pursues everything at sight in the hope of
getting succour.
A
peep into Agi’s official malfeasance as decided by the panel instituted by
university management reveal an intolerable level of official negligence,
absenteeism, official snobbery and glaring attempts to defraud the institution
laced in criminal acts such as impersonation of the VC, who is the Chief
Accounting officer of the university by consenting to the varsity’s final
financial approvals outside the gamut of his official powers. He frustrates
payment of TETFUND contractors, even after completion of jobs, certifications
issued and payments approved.
UniCal
Registrar, Mr. Moses Abang, in a letter conveying the termination of Mr. Peter
Agi’s appointment lucidly stated thus: “Management observed that you have been
impersonating the vice-chancellor on the CBN e-payment platform by making final
approvals and payments, a duty that is the responsibility of the Vice
Chancellor, who is the Chief Accounting Officer of the university.
"Again,
you absented yourself from office without requesting any of your deputies to
act for you, thus creating a vacuum in the administration of the Bursary.”
But
all Agi could muster courage to do was to incite a segment of students and
cash-and-carry Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), operating under some funny
strange identity as League of Civil Society Organizations to issue a watery
statement at a Press Conference in Abuja alleging excesses on the part of
Akpagu and invoking neglect of some sort of due process in the
termination of the ex-bursar’s appointment.
Agreed
that the Akpagu hijacked the professional and legal powers of the sacked Bursar
as argued by the pro-Agi campaigners through the retention of the
consultant for the collection of the university’s levies, why was Agi opposed
to the retention? Had he just found the consultants unworthy and incapable
under the tenure of Professor Akpagu?
The
former bursar had worked with the consultant for years under an era in Nigeria
where corruption was celebrated and rewarded. Therefore, Agi was gripped by the
phobia of exposure of his shady deals, upon the emergence of Akpagu as Vice
Chancellor, since he preaches transparency and accountability in running
the affairs of the university.
Within
the academic community, Agi has lost every strand or voice of support. It
means he had operated like a demigod in the institution, but the preceding VC
Prof. James Epoke consented to his excesses until Akpagu, widely admired on
campus with the sobriquet of “Mr. Change” came on board and
decided to check his official impunity and sleaze.
Throughout
the interface with the VC, voices of angst and resentment have swelled against
the ex-bursar, who has transformed into a thug. He threatened the life of his
subordinate worker as disclosed in a petition alleging threat to life sent to
the police in Calabar by the protocol officer of the University, Mr. Godwin
Nyiam.
And
the crux of the matter in this instance too, also revolved around some alleged
improper financial dealings connected with office of the bursar which the
petitioner was privy. It is more discerning or proper to guess why Agi wanted
to discharge the former consultants and appoint new ones against the advice of
his boss.
UniCal
cannot ground to a halt by the wishes of Mr. Bursar. The fate and destiny of
thousands of students seeking knowledge in the university depends on the
excellent functionality of the university and Agi and his cohorts cannot be
allowed to frustrate it.
But
Prof. Akpagu should neither be deterred nor distracted in fighting corruption
to enthrone sanity in the university. And the banal arsenals of blackmail and
the failed trial in court of public opinion as manifested by Agi and his gang
are the numerous ways corruption fights back and they are known to all. Akpagu
should not deviate from the template set by President Buhari at the federal
level.
The
President himself is also receiving the same missiles from these
anti-progressive elements, who have become paranoid to the extreme of wishing
him dead. Mr. President is canvassing for the restoration of strong public
institutions as against all-powerful individuals, as portrayed by Mr. Peter Agi
who flouts official directives with impunity and runs the institution’s bursary
department like his personal fiefdom and thinks crying foul when he is relieved
of his job would cleanse him of the sins.
A
Vice Chancellor whose actions and policies inspire both students and workers to
massively rise in his defence is really an asset anywhere because it is not
easy to influence any of these interests groups in the university community to
back your cause. It is the triumph of the “change”mantra over evil.
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