By Kelvin Ololo
A fixed meeting by the Vice Chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), Prof. Florence Obi, to settle leadership concerns in the school’s Staff Multi-purpose Cooperative Society has ended in violence as a member is left to battle for life.
The meeting, CrossRiverWatch, learned did not pan out well when the VC fumed and ordered a group out of the meeting for allegedly not accepting the “aggrieved members of the cooperative” tag. In the outburst of the chaotic scene, one Mr. Richard Iyang of the Department of Business Management of the varsity was macheted as tempers rose into the sky.
Confirming the ugly drama that played out at the University of Calabar International Conference Center on Thursday, April 24, 2025 to CrossRiverWatch on telephone, the victim Mr. Richard Iyang who was macheted in the neck and back close to the spine region, alleged he was “attacked by a group of assassins at the University of Calabar international Conference Center as a result of disagreement between the Cooperative Society and the concern corporative members which I belong.”
He narrated: “The Vice Chancellor scheduled a meeting at the Senate chamber for stakeholders and the concerned group. The meeting started in chaos when the Vice Chancellor ordered the leaders of the concerned groups and all other corporators to leave the Venue. Why the leader of the concern group (Mr. Kenneth Ekpe-Iko) was trying to intervene by telling the Vice Chancellor that all cooperators are also stakeholders, then one Mr. Philemon, who is Personal Assistant (General Duties) to the Vice Chancellor started slapping and beating up the leader of the “Concern group” right in front of the Vice Chancellor.
“It was at this point that some of us stepped in to stop the barbaric act by Mr. Philemon. There he turned his attention to me and said, ‘I will see you later’.
“However, another meeting was already scheduled by the VC for 3:PM at the International Conference Center, and about 3:PM, others and I had arrived at the International Conference Center. While waiting for the VC’s arrival outside the complex, I had a bang of a machete cut on the back of my neck and another one below my spinal cord. It was at this juncture that I was rushed to the medical center, and I know not what happened again,” he said.
Meanwhile, in a separate telephone interview with the said leader of the concerned group, Mr. Kenneth Ekpe-Iko told CrossRiverWatch that he was slapped four times by the Vice Chancellor’s Personal Assistant on General duties, Mr. Philemon
“The matter is connected to the leadership tussle of the Multi-Purpose Cooperative Society, which had been in a shambles and misfit since Mr.Ignatius Arok led administration that had overstayed their tenure and had refused to leave office or conduct an election for the cooperative since their tenure ended on 3rd February 2023.”
He said he was sent out of the meeting by the UNICAL VC because they refused to bear the name “aggrieved members of the cooperative”.
The UNICAL Staff Multi-purpose Cooperative Society is an entity set aside from the control of the university management. The Society, established about four decades ago, enables staff to access sub-loans and other dividends and support. Its leadership has a tenure of two years, after which another leadership is elected through an electoral process by voting.
When contacted, the UNICAL Public Relations Officer, Mr. Effiong Eyo, claimed not having knowledge of the incident. He asked this reporter to narrate the incident to him before he can respond.
As of the time of filing this report, it was revealed that a complaint has been lodged with the police, and one of the suspects arrested.
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