The High Court in Calabar, Cross River State, has adjourned till June 11, 2024, the hearing for a suit filed by Gender and Development Action (GADA) seeking proactive measures to curtail lecturer’s excesses leading to sexual harassment.
The case, overseen by Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu, was initially heard in court on March 14, 2024, under suit number FHC/CA/FHR/10/2024 and was then adjourned for further hearing to today, May 8, 2024.
The Tribune Online gathered that GADA dragged the National University Commission (NUC), the University of Calabar (UNICAL), the Vice Chancellor, Professor Florence Obi, and the suspended Dean of the Faculty of Law, Prof. Cyril Ndifon, to the Federal High Court in Calabar.
Focused on gender equality and empowering women while addressing all forms of repressive practices against women, GADA aimed to ensure that both the University of Calabar and the National University Commission require their employees to formally commit not to exploit students or misuse their positions to oppress others.
Speaking after a virtual court session, Counsel to GADA, Barrister Affiong Onung, confirmed that today was meant for a hearing, but on getting to the court, they found out that the first, second, and third respondents had not filed their processes, but the fourth respondent had filed a preliminary objection and counter to their process. She, however, denied asking for compensation from the fourth respondent.
“The first, second, and third respondents applied to the court for adjournment to enable them to file their processes, so it has been adjourned for a definite hearing.
“We want the NUC and University of Calabar to make more stringent guiding rules for the university to curtail excesses from lecturers, whereby if they err, they know what to expect from their employers since they’re directly under them. We want them to be more serious and proactive in their dealings with the universities under them.
Also speaking, Counsel to Prof. Ndifon reiterated that they have submitted their counter affidavit and also filed a preliminary objection, arguing that the applicants (GADA) have no involvement in the contractual agreement between the first, second, and third respondent, and the fourth respondent.
“The applicants who just brought us to court are interlopers; they are total strangers to the contractual relationship, and they do not have any business there. If there’s any misconduct by the fourth respondent (Prof. Ndifon), it is his employers who should, not the applicants who are strangers; they are gold diggers.
On his part, Jonas O. Abuo, Esq., representing the first, second, and third respondent, said, “We have asked the court for a date to enable us to file processes to include the first respondent, and the court has graciously obliged the first respondent to come with his processes, so the matter has been adjourned for a definite hearing where all processes would have been duly signed and exchanged.
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