By Esseh Ikora
As admission scandal rocks the University of Uyo( UNIUYO), Akwa Ibom state, the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Enefiok Essien SAN has denied trading with admissions.
It was learnt the wife of the Vice Chancellor allegedly collects between N200,000 to N250,000 from each student seeking admission into the institution on the exception list.
But the VC in an interaction with reporters at the weekend denied the allegations of admission racketeering, saying “his enemies were at work again”.
Describing the allegation as ‘unfounded and spurious’ Professor Essien said his wife is not a staff of the university and as such could not have collected money from applicants to offer them admissions.
He explained that although the exception list was his prerogative as the Vice Chancellor, he never abused it.
He maintained that admission into the institution was transparent and in accordance with the guidelines from the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB).
Prof Essien challenged his accusers to come forward with proof that his wife or any of his alleged proxies collected bribe to offer them admissions.
He said: ‘’every general rule has exception. Without exception rules will be too stiff and cause havoc. That is why you have exception. So the Vice Chancellor decides on the exceptions. Now as to N250,000 allegedly charged by wife, I think some people carry this kind of rumours to a level that is unthinkable.
“I am sure you know that my wife is not a staff of University of Uyo. The last convocation we had four staff were discussing and one of them said my wife was the one who had contract for the convocation, that she did everything. But she did not even supply handkerchief. People just like talking.
‘’Such a thing does not happen in this university at least not at the top level. At my own level there is nobody who can say he gave me or my wife one naira for admission. They are people you see, some have taken JAMB for donkey years, some are from very poor background, you try to help them because they must leave their present status. Those are things you consider.
‘’If you know me much, you know that many people have tried to stand in my way they could not. If you want to stand in my way prepare for your downfall because I am like gold fish I have no hiding place. So tell those people to go and find better job to do.
Essien who is a Professor of Law, said UNIUYO was sought after by many students as such quite a large number of candidates applied to it as their first choice, adding that there was not enough capacity to accommodate the influx of students.
‘’The capacity to carry a few number of students will depend on the quota given to by National University Commission, NUC .And NUC will give you quota based on your staff strength, infrastructural facilities like classrooms, laboratories, lecture theatres, workshops, currency of Library collection and other instruments for education, IT. They look at all those things and then give you a quota’’, he said.
He added: ‘’That is why for instance the quota we have for medicine is fifty. Medicine is regulated not just by NUC , but also by Medicine and Dental Council of Nigeria. Some of those professional programmes are regulated by professional bodies which will come through accreditation and give quota based on facilities on ground.
‘’The same thing applies to Law, the same thing applies to Pharmacy, a couple of them. These programmes, quotas for them are normally small. And yet you have very high demand. So, obviously many people will be unhappy. And when they are unhappy they bring up cock and bull stories. And I will like you to see those stories as nothing more than that, cock and bull.’’
