LAGOS/Nigeria: The Social and Economic Justice Advocacy (SEJA), a prominent Lagos-based Non-Governmental Organization, has issued a fervent plea to Professor Florence B. Obi, Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, to investigate an alleged criminal breach of trust involving Isioma Aninyem, a Nigerian entrepreneur operating under the name “Michael Hull Services.” The company specializes in sourcing and supplying educational materials, particularly journals, to academic institutions.
In a recent statement jointly signed by Barrister Emmanuel Nwaghodoh, the Group’s National Coordinator, and Jerome Mario Utomi, Programme Coordinator (Media and Policy), SEJA has urged Professor Florence B. Obi to take immediate action to address this long-standing issue.
SEJA has also set a strict fourteen-day ultimatum for the university authorities to release the findings of an in-house investigative panel, which was reportedly established by the institution’s leadership in 2019 to look into the dispute. Failure to comply with this ultimatum could result in the organization pursuing legal action against the University of Calabar.
Isioma Aninyem’s ordeal with the successive University of Calabar leadership began in 2014 and has persisted for nearly a decade. The university allegedly used deceptive tactics to procure academic and research journals valued at N1,034,700 (One Million and Thirty-four Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira Only) from Michael Hull Services.
According to SEJA, the university librarian at the time, Dr. (Mrs.) Ruth Simon Bassey, approached Michael Hull Services in 2014 to supply academic and professional journals for the university library. These journals were intended to facilitate the accreditation of the university’s academic programs by the National Universities Commission. Dr. (Mrs.) Bassey promised that payment would be made promptly upon delivery.
Despite the organization’s departure from its standard practice to extend credit to the university, the promised payment has not materialized, and all appeals to the university’s bursar, vice-chancellor, accountant, and university librarian have gone unanswered.
The statement by SEJA reads, in part: “In 2015, Isioma demanded payment but was told by the university bursar that the invoice was being processed. In 2016, he was informed that the university and the former university bursar were embroiled in a legal dispute and that payment would follow its resolution. Later, the new university bursar assured him of payment, but when contacted, she claimed to be unaware of the unpaid invoice. The situation worsened in 2018 when the university bursar suggested that the contract had been funded and paid for by the former university vice-chancellor, which Dr. (Mrs.) Simon Bassey denied.”
The statement also highlighted efforts by Isioma Aninyem to resolve the issue, including communication with the university librarian, Mrs. Nkoyo Edem, in 2019, who apologized on behalf of the university and requested the original invoice for further processing. However, no payment or follow-up has occurred to date.
SEJA has fervently requested the intervention of Professor Florence Obi, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar, to address this protracted issue. While the organization expressed its commitment to seeking a peaceful resolution, it firmly asserted that neither the organization nor its client should become victims of a lack of resolution in the current situation.
As the issue unfolds, SEJA remains dedicated to advocating for social and economic justice and will continue to monitor and raise awareness of cases like this that highlight breaches of trust and the quest for fair resolutions.
